1. POSTHARVEST HANDLING OF LITCHI Yoram Fuchs

2. Introduction Litchi (Litchi chinensis Son) has originated in China. It has been cultivated for over 3000 years and was introduced to Burma and India by the end of the 17th century and from there probably by the end of the19th century to many countries which have subtropical climate regions such as Japan, Australia, South Africa, Thailand, Hong Kong, Mauritius, Reunion, Madagascar, USA – Florida, Brazil, New Zealand and also Israel.

3. LITCHI PRODUCTION (1998) INDIAN COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH (ICAR) COUNTRY PRODUCTION 000 MT INDIA250 – 300 CHINA190 - 220 MADAGASCAR 35 - 40 SOUTH AFRICA 20 - 28 THAILAND 5 - 10 MAURITIUS 0.7 - 1

4. THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION ACCOUNTS FOR 95 % OF THE WORLD’S PRODUCTION (2001) (PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU – GOVERNMENT OF INDIA) CHINA IS THE LARGEST PRODUCER OF LITCHI FOLLOWED BY INDIA, THAILAND, AUSTRALIA, VIETNAM, SOUTH AFRICA, MADAGASCAR AND FLORIDA

5. TIME OF LITCHI ARRIVAL IN EUROPEAN MARKETS MONTH OF ARRIVALCOUNTRY / SOURCE NOVEMBER - MARCHAUSTRALIA JULY - AUGUSTISRAEL END OF FEB. - MARCHMAURITIUS NOVEMBER - JANUARYSOUTH AFRICA JUNE – AUGUSTTAIWAN MAY – JUNETHAILAND NOVEMBER - JANUARYMADAGASCAR

6. HOW LITCHI IS CONSUMED? FRESH FRUIT JUICE CANNED DRIED (LITCHI FIG OR NUT) PICKLLED

7. THE MAIN THREE PROBLEMS IN KEEPING THE POSTHARVEST QUALITY OF LITCHI FRUIT ARE: HOW TO PRESERVE THE RED COLOR OF THE PEEL HOW TO PROTECT THE FRUIT FROM DECAY BY MICROORGANISMS HOW TO REDUCE WEIGHT LOSS (DESICCATION)

8. LITCHI IS REGARDED AS A NONE CLIMACTERIC FRUIT -IT DOSE NOT RIPEN OFF THE TREE AND UNRIPE FRUIT DO NOT DEVELOP FULL FLAVOR. -THEREFORE, IT HAS TO BE HARVESTED RIPE. -FOR FRESH MARKET PURPOSES THE MAIN CRITERION FOR RIPENESS IS THE RED COLOR OF THE RIND (PEEL, PERICARP). -THE PEEL TURNS BROWN AND GETTING DESICCATED 1 OR 2 DAYS AFTER HARVEST. -ALTHOUGH THE BROWNING HAS NO EFFECT ON THE TASTE AND THE FLAVOR OF THE FRUIT, IT REDUCES SERIOUSLY ITS COMMERCIAL VALUE.

9. BET DAGAN, ISRAEL

11. LITCHI ON THE TREE

12. LITCHI AT HARVEST

13. SO2 FUMIGATION IN THE ORCHARD

14. Fumigation chamber in a family packinghouse

15. SO 2 FUMIGATION IN A FAMILY PACKINGHOUSE

16. AFTER 20 MIN OF SO 2 FUMIGATION

17. SEPARATING THE FRUIT FROM THE LEAVES AFTER SO 2 FUMIGATION

18. ON THE WAY TO THE COLD ROOM AFTER SO 2 FUMIGATION

19. AFTER 3 WEEKS OF STORAGE AT 5 C

20. ON DAY OF HARVEST

21. ABSORPTION SPECTRA IN THE VISIBLE REGION OF PALARGONIDIN CYNIDIN AND DELPHINIDIN(IN 0/01% HCL IN METHANOL)

22. STRUCTURAL CHANGES OF ANTHOCYANINS WITH pH

23. ABSORBANCE OF METHANOLIC PEEL EXTRACT OF FUMIGATED LITCHI - “I” AND AFTER ACIDIFICATION WITH HCL – “II”

24. 6 DAYS AFTER HARVEST IIIIIIIII

25. SIX DAYS AFTER HARVEST

26. SIX DAYS AFTER HARVEST FUMIGATION+pH 0.5 FUMIGATED CONTROL

27. COLOR CHANGES AS A RESULT OF THE pH

28. HALF FRUIT TREATED WITH HCL

29. PARTIAL DIP

30. CRACKS IN LITCHI PEEL

31. FRUIT ROTS ( MAINLY Penicillium spp.)

32. DECAY CONTROL 0.2% PROCHLORASE

33. LITCHI PACKINGHOSE

35. ARRANGING THE PALLET

36. LITCHI PACKING HOUSE

37. CRACKED FOOD

38. BROWN ENDOCARP

39. BROWN ENDOCARP DISORDERS

40. SUMMARY OF OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESS

41. HOT WATER BRUSHING

42. SCHEME OF A HWB LINE IN A LITCHI PACKINGHOUSE

43. HOT WATER BRUSHING 2

44. ROTATING DRUM

45. HWB and COMMERCIAL

46. HWB and SO 2 + HCL, AFTER 5 WEEKS OF STORAGE AT 5 C

47. HWB + HCL + SPORTAK and CONTROL

48. DECAY CONTROL TREATMENTS

49. DECAY SYMPTOMS AFTER 10 WEEKS AT 4°C

50. WHAT NEXT? HOW TO KEEP THE RED COLOR WITHOUT USING SO 2 FUMIGATION AND HCL DIP? HOW TO PREVENT DECAY WITHOUT USING FUNGICIDES? COLD TEMPERATUR (ICE) ? MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE (BAGS)? BETTER RH CONTROL? DIFFERENT CULTIVARS?

51. ETHYLENE PRODUCTION: LESS THAN 0.5 micro liter/kg.hr AT 20 C LITCHI IS NONCLIMACTERIC FRUIT. RESPONSE TO: ETHYLENE MAY ACCELERATE DETERIORATION OF LITCHI FRUITS (ARIL BREAKDOWN AND INCREASED DECAY)

52. PRODUCE FACTS LITCHI ( UC DAVIS) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MAINTAINING POSTHARVEST QUALITY MATURITY INDICES RED COLOR (DUE TO ANTHOCYANINS IN THE SKIN) IS A GOOD INDICATOR OF MATURITY ALONG WITH FRUIT SIZE. REACHING THE OPTIMUM RANGE OF SUGAR:ACID RATIO FOR THE CULTIVAR. LITCHIS SHOULD BE HARVESTED FULLY-RIPE BECAUSE THEY DO NOT CONTINUE TO RIPEN AFTER HARVEST.

53. QUALITY INDICES BRIGHT RED COLOR WITH NO BROWN DISCOLORATION EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOT AN INDICATOR OF ARIL QUALITY. SWEET AND JUICY ARIL; SOLUBLE SOLIDS : ACID RATIO OF 30 OR HIGHER. FREEDOM FROM DEFECTS ( SUCH AS BIRDS OR INSECTS DAMAGE, PHYSICAL DAMAGE, CRACKING OR BROWNING) AND FROM DECAY. LITCHIS ARE EXCELLENT SOURCE OF VITAMIN C (40 TO 90mg/100g FRESH WEIGHT).

54. STORAGE CONDITIONS OPTIMUM TEMP. 5 C, RANGE: 1.5 C TO 10 C DEPENDING ON CULTIVAR AND INTENDED STORAGE DURATION OPTIMUM R.H. 90 – 95% MAINTENANCE OF HIGH RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS ESSENTIAL FOR REDUCTION OF WATER LOSS AND BROWNING, WHICH IS THE MAJOR SYMPTOM OF DETERIORATION

55. RATES OF RESPIRATION 20 C10 C5 C TEMP. 25 - 4010 - 155 - 8 ml CO 2 /kg.hr TO CALCULATE HEAT PRODUCTION MULTIPLY ml CO 2 /kg.hr BY 440 TO GET Btu/ton/day OR BY 122 TO GET kcal/metric ton/day.

56. SPECIAL TREATMENT COLOR CAN BE PRESERVED BY BLEACHING WITH SO 2 FUMIGATION FOLLOWED BY A DIP IN DILUTE HYDROCLORIC ACID; BUT THIS TREATMENT MAY INDUCE UNDESIRABLE AFTERTAST AND IS NOT APPROVED FOR USE ON LITCHI MARKETED IN THE USA.

57. RESPONSE TO CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERES (CA) RECOMMENDED CA: 3 – 5% O 2 AND 3 – 5% CO 2. BENEFITS INCLUDE REDUCED SKIN BROWNING AND POLYPHENOLOXIDASE ACTIVITY AND SLOWER RATES OF LOSS OF ASCORBIC ACID, ACIDITY AND SOLUBLE SOLIDS. MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE PACKAGING IS USED COMMERCIALLY TO A LIMITED EXTENT. EXPOSURE TO OXYGEN LEVELS BELOW 1% AND /OR CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS ABOVE 15% MAY INDUCE OFF-FLAVORS AND DULL GRAY APPEARANCE OF THE ARIL.

58. PHYSIOLOGICAL and PHYSICAL DISORDERS PERICARP BROWNING CHILLING INJURIES PERICARP SPLIT (CRACKING) – depend on cultivar and water status ARIL BREAKDOWN – prolonged storage and over maturity may cause softening, loss of turgidity, translucency and loss of flavor

59. PATHOLOGICAL DISORDERS & DISINFESTATION TREATMENTS DECAY-INDUCING PATHOGENS: Alternaria sp., Botryodiplodia sp., Colletotrichum sp., Penicillium sp. and various yeasts. DISINFESTATION Irradiation at 0.3 kGy. Exposure to heat at 45 C for 30 min. Cold treatment of 14 days at 1 C.