Kajian penggunaan kemasan karton dan peti kayu dalam transportasi melon cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.)

Abstract

Quality of horticultural post-harvest products can not be increase but it can only be maintained. Post harvest handling that appropriate is necessary to maintain product quality,one of them is to make the packaging that can keep the fruit quality to be in a good condition and also to simplify on transportation process. Product quality loss during transportation process create a significant losses into the horticulture business. The main objective of this research is to determine the affect between filler packaging and mechanical damage. The material that being used in this study, which are: melon crates, corrugated fiber board, and newspaper. The equipment used consists of vibrating table with a compressor, the scales mettler, rheometer, and refractometer. The smallest mechanical damage occurred in melons when it packaged in corrugated fiber board and wrapped newspaper, while the worst damage experienced melons are packed with wood crate without filler material. Possessed the lowest hardness melon packing crates with the treatment without filler material. Weight losses occurred in melon with packing crates without filler material. The highest total soluble solids on the last day of observation occured for the melon that packed using corrugated fiber board and melon wrapped in newspaper. Package using corrugated fiber board with melon wrapped newspaper is the best packaging for transportation. It is because mechanical damage that occurs lowest, hardness and total soluble solids are highest, and loss of weight are relatively little during storage of 15 days.