INFLUENCE OF STORAGE TEMPERATURES ON THE POST-HARVEST QUALITY OF SNAP BEAN (PHASEOLUS VULGARIS L.)

A preliminary study was conducted where mature snap beans of  Samantha  variety, were collected from small holder farmers in 2 growing seasons and data was collected with a view to developing a model for short term storage for prediction of the relationship between storage conditions, physical and nutritional quality under low density polythene bags. Half of the samples were packed separately in open polythene bags while the other half was packed in closed polythene bags and stored at 5oC, 10oC, 15oC and 25oC and observations made for 9 days. It was observed that the higher the temperature, the higher the weight loss although  the loss was higher in open polythene bags in all the storage temperatures. Similar trends were also observed in the loss of chlorophyll in both samples with samples stored at 25oC showing 5.5mg/L of chlorophyll content at day 9. There was a higher loss in total soluble solids in the samples stored in open polythene bags at 25oC with the samples showing 5.3% by day 9.  There was a slower loss of vitamin C in samples stored in closed bags; however, the samples stored at 25oC for both treatments had the greatest loss by day 9. The results show that packaging in polythene bags has to be coupled with low temperature storage in order to receive a desirable shelf life.