Effects of waxing on ambient-temperature storage of Tiancao citrus fruits

[Objective]The present experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of waxing on quality and appearance of Tiancao citrus fruits in order to provide the references for scientific storage of postharvest Tiancao citrus fruits. [Method]Decco Fruitshine 402F wax, FMC 890 wax and self-prepared wax were used for waxing Tiancao citrus fruits at ambient temperature after treated with 2% SOPP for 5-8 min. Non-waxed fruits were also stored at ambient temperature as control. The appearance and quality of all treated fruits were comparatively analyzed. [Result]At the initial storage stage, fruit brightness was the same among all the treatments, however in late period, wax-treated ones were much brighter than the control, 402F and FMC890 could significantly improve brightness. Wax, particularly self-prepared wax could significantly reduce water loss, but as time went on, the difference between wax-treated fruits and control became smaller and smaller. During the entire period of ambient-temperature storage, hardness of fruit, soluble solid content and titratable acid content of all the treatments showed a descending trend. After 34-day storage, rotten rate remained the same under different treatments. [Conclusion]Compared to fruits treated with 402F and FMC890, self-prepared wax showed better effect on reducing weight loss and fresh-keeping, and similar effect on soluble solid content and titratable acid content, however, self-prepared wax still needs improvement in promoting fruit brightness.