ARS | Publication request: Postharvest practices for longan and rambutan

Submitted to: Annual International Tropical Fruit Growers Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: October 9, 2007
Publication Date: February 1, 2008
Citation: Wall, M.M. 2008. Postharvest practices for longan and rambutan. Proceedings 17th Annual International Tropical Fruit Conference. pp. 58-61.

Technical Abstract: Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) and longan (Dimocarpus longan) are two of the most important exotic specialty fruit crops grown in Hawaii. Consumer acceptance of these high value crops requires that fruits arrive at their final destination in excellent condition with minimal defects. Also, superior fruit quality is necessary for Hawaii’s specialty fruit industry to gain and maintain a competitive advantage. Our long term goals are to develop an integrated system of preharvest and postharvest practices that enable specialty tropical fruit growers to manage diseases, improve fruit quality, and extend shelf-life. Fruit decay and dehydration are the primary limitations to rambutan and longan shelf-life. These factors may be minimized through preharvest disease control and postharvest temperature management combined with modified atmosphere packaging. An update was presented on current research to determine optimum storage conditions and packaging strategies for longans and rambutans.