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

Abstract

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.