Detection of Sugar Content in Citrus Fruits by Capacitance Method

The production of Citrus fruits viz. Lemon (Citrus x Limon), Oranges (Citrus x Sinensis) and Mosambi (Citrus x Limetta) in India is around 13% in overall production of fruits. Wastage in post harvesting is around 20% of its production as they are not ripened. Non-climacteric fruits, once harvested, never ripen further. The biochemical process involved is a non-climacteric fruit give little or no ethylene gas.To reduce wastage in post harvesting stage it is necessary to predict its maturity by non-destructive method. For measuring the sugar content of citrus fruits (oranges) the technology of relative permittivity changes or capacitance is used. The relation between capacitance per weight to (sugar index) brix in % exists and shows linear correlation with coefficient of regression of around 92%.