Effect of storage environment on shelf life of aonla cv. NA-7

For combating the glut at peak harvest it is imperative to improve the storage life of aonla fruit. The object of the present study was to evaluate the effect of packaging and storage environment at ambient temperature as well as under refrigeration for conservation of aonla fruits cv.NA-7. The treatment comprised thermocol bowls, perforated polythene bags, card board, wooden boxes, perforated plastic crates, earthen pots, gunny bags, refrigerator and control. Storage under refrigerator was found most effective in retaining relatively superior skin colour, minimizing PLW and pathological losses and conserving Vitamin ‘C’ and acidity contents in aonla fruits. Reduction was noticed in the metabolites status i.e. TSS and sugars when compared with the storage under rest of the packaging and environmental conditions obviously due to moisture loss at ambient temperature. The higher spoilage occurred mainly due to black mould.