Calcium treatments and waxing extend the shelf life of acid lime

Acid lime (Citrus aurantifolia) is one of Nepal's most important commercial citrus crops. However, growers experience substantial postharvest losses due to inadequate handling and storage practices, reducing fruit quality and market value.

To improve postharvest performance, researchers evaluated the effects of different storage systems and postharvest treatments on the quality and shelf life of the Terhathum Local acid lime cultivar. The study, conducted between December 2022 and March 2023, compared three storage facilities and seven postharvest treatments combining wax coatings and calcium chloride (CaCl₂).

The findings showed that fruit treated with 4% calcium chloride combined with 10% waxing achieved the lowest postharvest weight loss, reducing it to 10.76% compared with 21.88% in untreated fruit.

Vitamin C retention was also significantly improved when treated fruit was stored in a Cool Bot refrigerated chamber. Under these conditions, vitamin C content remained close to 59 mg per 100 g of fruit, representing the highest nutritional preservation among the treatments evaluated.

The combined treatment also delivered the longest storage period, extending shelf life to 92 days while maintaining commercial quality. The integration of calcium chloride, waxing and refrigerated storage proved particularly effective in slowing quality deterioration after harvest.

According to the researchers, this postharvest strategy offers growers a practical solution to reduce losses during peak production periods, improve fruit quality and increase marketing opportunities. They recommend further validation across additional growing seasons, commercial conditions and acid lime varieties.

Source

Khatiwada, S., Giri, H. N., Acharya, U. K., & Shrestha, A. K. (2026). Efforts to enhance post-harvest quality of acid lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle). Cogent Food & Agriculture. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311932.2026.2692767