INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF POSTHARVEST QUALITY OF MANDARIN CV.  PERTANGELO USING UV-C LIGHT AND EUCALYPTUS CAMADULENSIS ESSENTIAL OIL

Postharvest losses, particularly fungal infection, are major factor in limiting the shelf life of many fruits and vegetables. In order to control the green mold caused by (Penicillium digitatum), preservation quality and increase the shelf life of mandarins cv. ‘Pertangelo’, the treatments of eucalyptus essential oil and UV-C irradiation were applied. The effectiveness of essential oil in vitro and in vivo were tested at concentrations of 0 (control), 150, 300 and 400 mg l-1 by using a disc diffusion method and 0 (control), 400 mg l-1, respectively. The dose of UV-C irradiation used was 0.72 k j/m2. The results of in vitro and in vivo tests indicated that, essential oil and UV-C irradiation treatments significantly (P=0.01) inhibited the growth of pathogen. These treatments decreased and increased the titratable acidity contents and pH values, respectively. There were no differences in total soluble solids contents. In both tests the UV-C treated fruit showed noticeable decrease in the lightness (L*) and superficial color (Hue˚).