Hexanal and Salicylic acid: Improves postharvest quality and shelf life of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa cv. Winter Dawn) under low storage temperature

Postharvest quality and shelf life of strawberry are highly susceptible to rapid ripening and decay, leading to significant economic losses from grower’s perspective. Therefore, study was conducted to evaluate the effects of hexanal and salicylic acid as dip treatment under different storage temperatures on physico-chemical and biochemical attributes of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa cv. Winter Dawn) fruits. The study consisted ten treatments combinations and three replications. Fruits were treated with hexanal @ 4mM, stored at 6 ºC temperatures and exhibited highest shelf life (24 days), reduced physiological weight loss (7.52%), lower decay incidence (26.66%), better firmness retention (3.96 kg/cm2), higher retention of ascorbic acid (47.42mg/100gm), phenolic compounds (288.37 mg GE/100g), and antioxidant activity (64.19% DPPH inhibition) at 16 DAS. Salicylic acid also extended shelf life (14 days) and maintained biochemical properties compared to control. These effects are associated with reduced enzymatic activity related to ripening, lower respiration rates, and modulation of oxidative processes, hence can be recommended as a practical and efficient postharvest handling tools to extend shelf life and biochemical properties of strawberry.