International Journal of Horticulture, 2017, Vol.7, No.8, 54-63
54
Research Article Open Access
Evaluation of Packaging Materials for Transportation of Apple Fruits in CFB Boxes
Subedi G.D.
1
,
Gautam D.M.
2
, Baral D.R.
2
, K C G.B.
2
, Paudyal K.P.
1
1 Horticulture Research Division, Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), Lalitpur, Nepal
2 Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur , Katmandú, Nepal
Corresponding email
International Journal of Horticulture, 2017, Vol. 7, No. 8 doi
Received: 28 Dec., 2016
Accepted: 16 Mar., 2017
Published: 15 Apr., 2017
Copyright
©2017 Subedi et al., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Preferred citation for this article
:
Subedi G.D., Gautam D.M., Baral D.R., K C G.B., and Paudyal K.P., 2017, Evaluation of packaging materials for transportation of apple fruits in CFB boxes,
International Journal of Horticulture, 7(8): 54-63 (doi
Abstract
Studies were carried out for two consecutive years (2013-2014) to identify appropriate packaging materials for
transportation of apples. Fruits of Red Delicious cultivar harvested on 3rd week of September were packed in different types of
corrugated fiber board (CFB) boxes and transported from HRS,
Rajikot
,
Jumla
,
Nepal
(2390 m a.s.l., 29°17’ N, 82°13’ E) to
Kohalpur
,
Banke
,
Nepal
(215 km mountainous gravel road, 48 hours) by truck. The treatments were 10 kg capacity 5 ply and 7 ply
CFB boxes having 140 psi, 160 psi and 180 psi bursting strength. To compare with conventional and government recommended
practices, the fruits were also packed in 3 ply Beer cartons (conventional practice) and 7 ply 20 kg capacity CFB boxes (Government
recommendation). The experiment was designed as eight treatments randomized completely with three replications. After
transportation, fruits were stored as such condition in cold store at 5±1°C and 95% RH for one month. After storage, observations
were made on physiological loss in weight (PLW), damage fruits, fruit quality and economic analysis. There was more than 50%
reduction in PLW in all packaging treatments as compared to conventional one (3.8%). Similarly, total damaged fruits were highest
(21.6%) in conventional practice which was reduced to 6.0 to 12.0% in other treatments. Among the treatments, 7 ply 180 psi
bursting strength CFB box was the best to retain fruit quality. Besides reduction in postharvest loss and better quality fruits, higher
gross return, higher benefit cost ratio was received from the improved technology. The use of 7 ply 180 psi CFB boxes has an
additional benefit of NRs. 70625 (US $ 666) per 5000 kg fruits (1 truckload load). Higher cost of CFB boxes could be an important
obstacle in adoption of improved technology; hence provision should be made from the government to subsidize for packaging
materials to encourage adoption of improved technology.
Keywords
Brushing; Bursting strength; CFB boxes; Hedonic rating; Potential added benefit
1 Introduction
Apple (
Malus domestica
Borkh.) is a deciduous plant in Rose family, an economically important pomaceous fruit.
Apple fruits have colorful appearance, crispy flesh, pleasant flavor and sweet taste. It has been originated in
Central Asia, where its wild ancestor
Malus sieversii
is still found today (Hancock et al., 2008). Apples have been
grown for thousands of years in Asia and Europe; were brought to Indian sub-continent by European colonists.
There are more than 7 500 cultivars and it is one of the most grown fruit in the temperate zones of all over the
world (Martinelli et al., 2008). Apples have religious and mythological significance in many cultures including
Norse, Greek and European Christian traditions. The proverb “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” addresses
the health benefit of fruit. Consumption of apple has shown better health to prevent a variety of chronic diseases
and lung cancer, asthma, diabetes and ischemic heart disease which is mainly due to large content of structural
cell walls and polysaccharides along with the various phyto-chemical antioxidants (Device
et al., 2010). Apple is
a leading deciduous fruit grown successfully in high hill areas from east to far west of Nepal. In Nepal, apple can
be grown in 54 districts; however, only 12 districts grow apple commercially of which Jumla district ranked the
number one in terms of area and production (Subedi et al., 2012).
Red Delicious is a widely adapted commercial cultivar of apple. In Nepal, climate is very much suitable for the
production of apple. Efforts have been made to increase production in high hills and mountains. However,
because of transportation problems, the produced fruits do not reach to the market in normal condition.
