Effect of Pouches on Fruit Quality of Dajiubao Peaches

Four different kinds of paper pouches (i.e., white single-layer, yellow single-layer, yellow-outside-whiteinside double-layer, and yellow-outside-black-inside double-layer) were used to study their effects on the fruit appearance and quality of late-ripening peach, Dajiubao, in a bagging cultivation.The latitudinal and longitudinal diameters, weight, firmness, surface coloration, and contents of soluble solids, soluble sugars, titratable acids and vitamin C of the bagged and bare (control) fruits were determined.The results showed that, with the bagging, the disease and pest infection rates and fruit rust index were significantly reduced, while color saturation and flesh firmness increased.Damages due to diseases and pests were lower on fruits bagged with double-layer pouches than either single-layer or control.The average single fruit weight was significantly higher than the others when the yellow single-layer pouches were used.The blue-yellow chromatic aberration and color saturation of the peaches bagged with the double-layer pouches were higher than other treatments.The red-green chromatic aberration and chromatic aberration ratio on the fruits bagged with the single-layer pouches were higher than other treatments and control.On the other hand, the differences on the soluble solids and titratable acids contents were not significant between the treatments or control.However, the soluble sugars and vitamin C contents of the bagged peaches were lower than control.Therefore, the bagging appeared to improve the apparent quality of the fruits rendering a desirable consumer perception and commercial value of the commodity.For the purpose, the yellow single-layer pouches seemed particularly applicable for the late-ripening peaches in Fujian.