Response of post-harvest chemical treatments on shelf-life and quality of custard apple cv. Balanagar

The custard apple fruits were subjected to various post-harvest chemical treatments, viz., GA3 50 ppm, NAA 100 ppm, kinetin 10 ppm and control (no chemical). The results revealed that NAA 100 ppm as well as GA3 50 ppm were found most effective in extending the shelf-life, respectively over control (by 1.75 and 1.42 days), while they helped in maintaining the marketability and tended to reduce the fruit weight loss. The level of acidity and ascorbic acid decreased, while reducing and total sugars increased with advancement of storage period. Application of NAA 100 ppm was more economical than other chemicals.