Combined effects of chemical and physical elicitors on postharvest quality of custard apple (Annona squamosa L., cv. Balanagar)

• Effect of hot water in combination with 2 mM salicylic acid and 1% calcium chloride on the qualitative properties of custard apple (Annona squamosa L.) was evaluated.
• HWT (50 °C) + SA (2 mM) + calcium chloride (1%) were found as an effective treatment to retain the quality of custard apple fruit.
• The treatment of 50 °C + 2 mM salicylic acid and 1% calcium chloride could preserve the custard apple fruit up to 8 days as against to only 4 days of untreated fruits.

The effect of the hot water (i.e. 45 °C and 50 °C) with six different combination treatments of 2 mM salicylic acid and 1% calcium chloride on the qualitative properties of custard apples stored at 25–27 °C (60–70% R.H.) were investigated at a regular interval of 2 days under the present conditions. The biochemical analyses of the custard apples of the experimental set revealed that they retained the higher amount of ascorbic acid and showed delay in their ripening as compared to that of the fruits of the control set. The fruits treated by the hot water treatment (45 °C) were effective in the maintenance of the lower activity of some of the enzymes responsible for the cell wall degradation and softening. Among all of the treatments tested under the current study, the treatment of 50 °C + 2 mM salicylic acid and 1% calcium chloride could preserve the custard apples for up to 8 days as compared to only 4 days of the untreated custard apples.