ISHS Acta Horticulturae 368: International Symposium on Postharvest Treatment of Horticultural Crops
STORAGE OF DASHEEN LEAVES |
| Authors: | C.K. Sankat, V. Maharaj |
| Keywords: | Colocasia esculenta L., taro leaves, packaging, transpiration, temperature, shelf-life, colour |
| Abstract:
The dasheen (Colocasia esculenta L.) is a herbaceous, tuberous perennial with large distinctive leaves and is cultivated extensively in tropical countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, for both the tender leaves and the tubers. The leaf with the stem attached commonly called "dasheen bush" or "callaloo bush" and is usually cooked as spinach. Under ambient conditions (28 °C), the weight loss of the dasheen leaf is 63 % after 8 days and the moisture content falls from 85.5 % (wet basis) to 22.3 % in this time. Hence, in the traditional marketing system, the crop wilts rapidly and losses are high. In this study, the effects of both refrigerated storage and polyethylene packaging to ameliorate postharvest shelf-life and quality were examined. For the unpackaged dasheen bush, average weight losses of 2.7, 3.5, 4.4 and 7.3 %/day were calculated when the crop was stored at 3, 10, 17 and 28 °C respectively. However, packaging reduced such losses to less than 15 % that of the unpackaged crop, and kept the moisture content high, averaging 86 % for the 24 days in storage. Unpackaged leaves, initially deep green in colour with a hue angle of 148.1 ° (tan-1 b/a), when stored under ambient conditions showed deleterious colour changes and became brown-yellow (hue angle of 92.2 °) after 8 days. However, in refrigerated storage, green colour loss was restricted with the corresponding values for hue angle being 124.9 °, 125.8 ° and 118.7 ° at 3, 10 and 17 °C respectively. Packaging further enhanced the maintenance of the green colour and retarded leaf yellowing. After 16 days in storage at 10 °C, the hue angle for the packaged crop was 131.8 °, representing a leaf with traces of yellow. However at 3 °C only, a browning discoloration of the leaves occurred, first noticeable after 12 days and symptomatic of chilling injury. It was found that the dasheen bush can be held for up to 16 days if packaged and stored at 10 °C. Under such conditions, quality reduction is not significant and saleability is maintained. | |
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