Pg. 10-14 Post-harvest control of decay and browning of litchi fruit by fungicide dips and paper sheets impregnated with sodium metabisulphite

Integrated control is necessary to increase the shelf-life of litchis. This can be done by a dip treatment of Benomyl (600 ppm), Prochloraz (250 ppm) and a fruit coating compound, Semperfresh F (1%) to prevent decay, followed by the incorporation of two slow releasing sodium metabisulphite (SMS) paper sheets on both sides of the litchis in polyethylene bags to prevent browning. The cv Madras requires a much higher SO2 concentration than the cv Mauritius. A storage temperature of 3,5°C is recommended for both cultivars.