The difference of quality of citrus fruits on different levels of maturity during storage period

Abstract

This research was conducted at farmers’ oranges field in Belantih Village, Kintamani District, Bangli Regency, Bali, and Laboratory of Agriculture Faculty of Warmadewa University. The aim of the study was to know the difference of quality of Siam citrus fruits at different fruit maturity levels during storage period. The experiment used randomized block design. The treatment was fruit maturity, consisting of 4 levels i.e FM1 = harvested 22 weeks after flowering (WAF) with physical appearance of green fruit skin, FM2 = harvested at 24 WAF with green yellowish fruit skin, FM3 = harvested at 26 WAF with yellow-greenish fruit skin, and FM4 = harvested at 28WAF with yellow fruit skin, each repeated 6 times. The results showed, the riper harvested fruit the sweeter the taste, which reflected by the higher total dissolved solids and sugar/acid ratio, but the shelf life was shorter because the fruits were rapidly shrinking and loss of weight and quickly damaged. However, if the fruits harvested too young (before the age of 26 WAF) the quality of the fruits were low reflected by lower of weight per fruit and fruit diameter and decreased the quality of the fruit during storage was faster. Based on the result of this research, to get good quality of Siam Citrus fruit and kept longer on storage the fruit harvest should be done at age 26 WAF with physical appearance characteristic of yellow green fruit skin.