Harvest maturity effects on mango fruit ripening.
Medlicott A. P., Reynolds S. B., New S. W., Thompson A. K.
Author Affiliation: School of Applied Sciences, Polytechnic, Wolverhampton, WV1 1LY, UK.
Tropical Agriculture 65 : 153-157
Abstract : The maturity at harvest of cv. Tommy Atkins fruits was found to have an important effect on the development of fruit quality when ripened at 25°C. Fruits harvested in Jamaica at the mature and half-mature stages developed good quality characteristics, but immature fruits showed only limited changes during ripening. Treatment with either 1.0 ml litre-1 ethylene or acetylene initiated ripening at all 3 maturity stages, although ripening remained incomplete in immature fruits. Mature fruits ripened faster than both half-mature and immature fruits when not treated with exogenous ethylene or acetylene. The ripening rate of fruits in successive harvests over a 4-week period increased during the season. Acetylene treatment appeared more effective with early season harvests, notably for peel colour development; the overall effect was less apparent in late season fruits. If harvesting of immature fruits is avoided, both ethylene and acetylene treatments at 1.0 ml litre-1 for 24 h at 25° improve the uniformity in quality by inducing simultaneous ripening and have potential in the commercial ripening of mango.