Abstract: Pitaya (Hylocereus undatus) is an exotic non-climacteric fruit that reaches its best eat-
ing quality when harvested ripe, decreasing thereafter during storage. Our objectives were to
determine the best combination of storage temperature and use of perforated plastic bags to
maintain the postharvest quality of the fruit. Fruits were stored at 5, 7, or 10 ºC with and without
a perforated plastic bag for 20 days, followed by five days at 20 ºC without the bag for shelf-life
determination. Storage at 5 ºC, followed by 7 ºC maintained better visual appearance of the
pitaya fruit after 20 days, by reducing decay incidence and severity, and maintaining greener
bracts compared with fruit stored at 10 ºC. Pitaya fruit stored at 5 ºC without a perforated plastic
bag showed no decay after storage and shelf-life. In general, higher temperatures and the use
of a perforated plastic bag increased decay incidence, as well as decay severity after storage
and shelf-life conditions. At all temperatures, fruit stored in a perforated plastic bag had lower
weight loss during storage. After shelf-life, weight loss was highest in fruit stored at higher tem-
peratures. Storage of fruits at 5 ºC resulted in minor chilling injury symptoms in the outer flesh
tissue, close to the peel. Storage at 5 ºC without a perforated plastic bag was the best condition
to maintain the postharvest quality of the pitaya fruit.