Effect of Plant Extracts on Quality of Khasi Mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) Fruits During Ambient Storage

Khasi mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) fruits were treated with Azadirachta indica, Ocimum sanctum, Aloe barbedensis, carbendazim, A. barbedensis + A. indica, A. barbedensis + O. sanctum, A. barbedensis + carbendazim and control (water). Treated fruits were packed in corrugated fibre boxes and kept for a total period of 28 days at ambient storage (20 +/- 2 A degrees C and 65 A +/- 5% RH). Prominent pathogen associated with fruit rot was identified as Penicillium brevicompactum. The fruit quality during storage was evaluated in terms of disease severity (per cent disease index), inhibition of spore germination (%) of P. brevicompactum, decay loss (%), juice content retention (%), total soluble solids (%), acidity (%), ascorbic acid content (mg/100 g) and sensory scores. O. sanctum-treated fruits exhibited minimum decay loss (3.33%) up to a total period of 28 days which was even less than carbendazim (10%). O. sanctum was also highly effective in inhibiting spore germination of P. brevicompactum (96.5%). Overall acceptability score (7.33) was also high in O. sanctum-treated fruits as compared with other treatments at the end of the storage period.