Effect of microenvironment on quality of bagged loquats

Using three different kinds of bags to enclose Gui-fei loquat fruits,the light intensity,temperature,humidity and ventilation in the microenvironment were determined.The relationship between the conditions inside the bag and the fruit quality was established.The results showed that the bagging caused decreases in sunlight intensity, while improving the fruit’s exterior and flesh qualities in varying degrees.Externally,the fruit skin had a clean, shiny appearance with even,attractive color,powdery and fuzzy coatings,and few burned or rust spots.The flesh showed decreases in soluble solids and sugar contents,increases in titratable acids and vitamin C,as well as an increased sour taste and somewhat reduced flavor.The soluble solids and total sugar contents were positively related to the average daily sunlight intensity;whereas,the titratable acids and vitamin C were negatively related to the sunlight intensity.Among the factors investigated,their greatest effect was on the content of titratable acids,with a correlation coefficient of -0.9766(P0.05).