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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Hilo, Hawaii » Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center » Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #412199
Research Project: Postharvest Protection of Tropical Commodities for Improved Market Access and Quarantine Security

Location: Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research

Title: Effect of X-ray irradiation and carnauba wax coating on quality of lime (Citrus latifolia Tan.) fruit

Author
item Sun, Xiuxiu
item Follett, Peter
item SHU, CHANG - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item Yusufali, Zahra
item Bai, Jinhe
item Wall, Marisa

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/23/2024
Publication Date: 4/22/2024
Citation: Sun, X.N., Follett, P.A., Shu, C., Yusufali, Z.A., Bai, J., Wall, M.M. 2024. Effect of X-ray irradiation and carnauba wax coating on quality of lime (Citrus latifolia Tan.) fruit. HortScience. 59(5):684–690. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI17743-24.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI17743-24

Interpretive Summary: Maintenance of the green color in lime peel and control of weight loss of lime postharvest are critical to obtain good market return. Also, a quarantine treatment is required before the exportation of lime to overseas markets. The results showed that low-dose irradiation (150-450 Gy) after application of a carnauba wax coating could be used to maintain quality and improve quarantine safety of fresh lime fruit.

Technical Abstract: The quality of Persian (Tahiti) lime (Citrus latifolia Tan.) fruit was determined following coating with carnauba wax and X-ray irradiation at doses suitable for disinfestation of quarantine pests. Fruit with or without carnauba wax coating were treated with irradiation doses of 0, 150, 300, or 450 Gy, and stored for 14 days at 13 °C and 6 days at 20 °C to simulate commercial transportation and marketing conditions from Hawaii to the continental United States. The fruit color, weight loss, total soluble solids content, and titratable acidity were analyzed at 7, 14 and 14 + 6 days post irradiation. Wax coating significantly delayed fruit peel discoloration, and reduced fruit weight loss by more than 7% compared to the unwaxed controls. Irradiation with or without coating did not affect weight loss, total soluble solids content, or titratable acidity. Wax coating combined with irradiation treatment of limes at doses = 450 Gy ensured marketable visual quality and chemical composition while providing quarantine security.