The effect of pre-cooling and waxing of three ‘Galia’ cultivarswas evaluated with regard to fruit quality and shelf-life at 18 ± 1°C and85%- 90% relative humidity. Pre-cooling and/or waxing reduced moistureloss, delayed fruit ripening, maintained quality and extended shelf-life ofthe three cultivars. Pre-cooling and/or waxing delayed the onset of theclimacteric peak, rind color development, fruit softening and TSSaccumulation by one to four days. Weight loss was reduced by an averageof 6.5% in the pre-cooled, 15.8% in the waxed and 27.4% in the pre-cooled and waxed fruits.

The effect of pre-cooling and waxing of three ‘Galia’ cultivarswas evaluated with regard to fruit quality and shelf-life at 18 ± 1°C and85%- 90% relative humidity. Pre-cooling and/or waxing reduced moistureloss, delayed fruit ripening, maintained quality and extended shelf-life ofthe three cultivars. Pre-cooling and/or waxing delayed the onset of theclimacteric peak, rind color development, fruit softening and TSSaccumulation by one to four days. Weight loss was reduced by an averageof 6.5% in the pre-cooled, 15.8% in the waxed and 27.4% in the pre-cooled and waxed fruits

The effect of post-harvest treatment of Maleic hydrazide (MH)with and without waxing on the quality and shelf-life of ‘Baladi’ and‘Ekostika I’ papaya fruits at 18 ± 1 oC and 85% – 90% relative humiditywas evaluated. Maleic hydrazide at 250 and 500 ppm significantlydelayed fruit ripening by two and three days in both papaya cultivars,respectively, compared with untreated fruits. The higher theconcentration, the more was the delay in fruit ripening. The results alsoshowed that waxing in addition to MH resulted in a delay of two moredays in fruit ripening than treatment with MH alone. The effect of MHand waxing treatments in delaying papaya fruits ripening was manifestedin retarded respiratory climacteric, reduced weight loss and delayed fruitsoftening and increase in total soluble solids and ascorbic acid content