Guidelines for an optimal postharvest process of the mandarin

The mandarin crop is one of the most popular crops in our country. The mandarin (satsumas, hybrids and clementines) is a highly appreciated fruit, similar to the orange, but smaller. It is usually consumed as a whole fruit, although it is also sold as preserves, cutted and is used for the syrups and jams production. The mandarin tree is small, with lots of thorns, evergreen and is known for having a great adaptability to different weather conditions: desert, semitropical and subtropical. Now, we are going to tell you the keys for a correct postharvest process for this fruit, whose main producing countries are the ones located next to the Mediterranean coast such as Spain, Italy and Morocco, as well as the United States and Asian Countries such as China and Japan. The keys of the success in the postharvesting process of mandarin cropsMandarins are a rather delicate fruit, and the main cause of their spoilage is the lack of water due to the separation of the fruit from the tree. This is a common problem between citrus fruits and in the case of the mandarin is compounded because mandarins have a higher surface area in relation to their total volume and also because their rind is very thin and this is favorable for drying.  Therefore, the most critical stage of the whole mandarin cultivation process is de postharvest stage. Is very important to minimize the effect of the water loss in this stage, which can heavily reduce its comercial quality: drying of the rind due to excessive transpiration, softening, emergence of wrinkles and premature aging of the fruit. The following postharvest tips and guidelines are essential to reduce the effects of dehydration and other harmful circumstances for mandarins:   - General storage conditions for mandarins are 5°C(41ºF) and 90% relative humidity.  - At the beginning, the application of low temperatures during postharvest is beneficial to reduce transpiration and prevent fungal growth. However, this method has its limitations, and the phenological moment of the fruit, the variety and other factors must be taken into account so that the low temperatures do not damage our fruit. If the use of cold is not well managed, mandarins will develop skin spots and other alterations (pitting, scalding...) which, although they do not destroy the fruit, they reduce its market value.  - During transport, it is very important to protect the mandarins against bad weather conditions: rain, strong wind, excessive sun, etc. On the other hand, the temperature inside the boxes must remain stable. As for relative humidity, we must ensure that it is always in the range of 85-95%, so that a good and correct circulation of the cooling air flow must be controlled.