Effect of On-Tree Storage on Fruit Quality of Three Pummelo (Citrus grandis Osbeck) Cultivars

Abstract In this study, to provide basis for postharvest storage, the effect of on-tree and indoor storage on fruit quality of three pummelo (Citrus grandis Osbeck) cultivars was evaluated. We compared the fruit quality by these two storage methods. For external fruit quality, peel thickness decreased significantly with the increase of indoor storage times. The granulation index of on-tree fruits reached the maximum value of 0.63 in ‘Hungjinmiyou’ for 90 days. After 90 days for on-tree storage, three pummelo cultivars started to reveal storage taste. The remaining index such as weight per fruit, fruit shape index, segment and edible rate revealed no obvious change trends between on-tree and indoor storage methods. There were no obvious change trends in the content of total soluble solid, reaching the maximum value of 11.12%, 10.87%, and 11.17% for 60 or 90 days for on-tree storage. While for indoor storage, TSS content revealed a decrease - rise - decrease trend. Vitamin C and sugar contents decreased with the increase of on-tree storage times. The flesh chromatism of on-tree fruits turned to light red in ‘Sanhongmiyou’ and ‘Hongroumiyou’, while it kept stable with orange- yellow in ‘Huangjinmiyou’. Taking external and internal fruit quality into consideration, it is better to store for 90 days on-tree and indoor for ‘Sanhongmiyou’ and ‘Hongroumiyou’, 60 days for ‘Huangjinmiyou’, respectively. By comparison, fruits on-tree storage showed better quality than that by indoor storage.