EFFECT OF WAX COATING AND NAA ON STORAGE BEHAVIOUR OF PAPAYA (CARICA PAPAYA L.)

The present investigation was carried out during 2006-2007 at Department of Horticulture, Allahabad Agricultural Institute-Deemed University, Allahabad. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) comprising of three replications and ten treatments viz. 0 ppm NAA (To), 100 ppm NAA (T 1 ), 150 ppm NAA (T 2 ), 200 ppm NAA (T 3 ), 250 ppm NAA (T 4 ), 6% wax coating (T 5 ), 6% wax coating + 100 ppm NAA (T 6 ), 6% wax coating + 150 ppm NAA (T 7 ), 6% wax coating + 200 ppm NAA (T 8 ), and 6% wax coating + 250 ppm NAA (T 9 ). All the treated fruits were kept at room temperature only. The observation in respect of loss in weight, colour development, fruit softening, TSS, total sugar, non-reducing sugar, reducing sugar and total sugar were recorded. The results indicated that the pre harvest treatment with 6% wax coating + 250 ppm NAA (T 9 ) resulted in better retaining of the physico-chemical characteristics i.e., physiological loss in weight (19.98%), colour development (3.73), fruit softening (3.75%), TSS (11.88%), total sugar (8.23%), non-reducing sugar (1.94%), reducing sugar (6.29%) and also in extending the shelf life of papaya up to 15 days at room temperature as against the 7 days of shelf life of untreated fruits.