Assessment of postharvest quality attributes and storability of sweet lime (Citrus limonia) var. Rangpur: a comparative investigation of conventional and indigenous organic cultivation in Andhra Pradesh, India

Organic farming has gained prominence as a sustainable alternative to conventional agriculture, emphasizing harmony with nature and avoiding synthetic chemical inputs. In India, traditional organic inputs, including those derived from cow dung, have deep historical roots. The use of indigenous organic liquid manures for sweet lime cultivation is considered a sustainable, cost-effective method that benefits farmers, however, its impact on postharvest quality and storability remains underexplored which is an important aspect for consumers and the food industry. Hence, the study aimed to comparatively investigate the postharvest quality and storability of Citrus limonia grown using indigenous organic liquid manures and conventionally grown counterparts under ambient and refrigerated storage conditions. Fruit geometrical attributes and postharvest physicochemical (TSS, acidity, pH, juice content, brix-acid ratio), physiological (loss of weight, respiration rate), phytochemical properties (total polyphenol and flavonoid content, antioxidant activity) were studied for 42 days at 7-day intervals. Results showed that geometric mean diameter, sphericity, and surface area decreased during storage, with refrigerated conditions preserving fruit geometry better. Organically grown sweet lime exhibited great initial firmness (107.13N), lower physiological loss of weight (14.88%), and a reduced respiration rate (90.76 µLCO₂kg⁻¹ h⁻¹) indicating greater storability. Organic fruits displayed higher juice content, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and brix-acid ratio at harvest which significantly changed during storage under different storage conditions. Although antioxidant activity decreased over storage, organic fruits exhibited higher initial activity. These findings suggest that organic farming methods, particularly using indigenous organic inputs, has comparable postharvest quality of sweet limes, potentially benefiting both producers and consumers.