Evaluation of the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) treatment as degreening method on ‘Okitsu’ Satsuma

Abstract

The aim of this work was to study the effect of postharvest light treatment as a potential degreening method on ‘Okitsu’ Satsuma mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco). Furthermore, a possible synergistic effect of light and ethephon treatment was also evaluated. For this, mature green fruit were harvested and treated. The treatments were: 1) exposing the fruit to increasing periods of time of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR); 2) the combination of a traditional ethephon degreening method with the most effective PAR treatment. The results show that 12 h and 24 h of PAR treatments were the most favourable to obtain the better effects of degreening, not affecting the rest of quality parameters. The combination of the 24 h of PAR and ethephon treatments was not effective to degreen the fruit. The present work is the first step in the approach to the study of PAR treatment as a degreening method on citrus and, according to the results, we consider it could be a promising degreening treatment on ‘Okitsu’ mandarin.