Mineral distribution in mango fruit susceptible to the physiological disorder soft-nose.
Burdon J. N., Moore K. G., Wainwright H.
Author Affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK.
Scientia Horticulturae 48 : 329-336
Abstract : The mineral composition of fruits of the susceptible cultivar Kent was compared for a site at which the soft nose disorder occurs and a site at which the disorder was not encountered. Comparison was also made with fruits of the less susceptible cultivar Beverly growing on the affected site. In cv. Kent, the Ca and Mg contents were lower in fruits from the affected site than in those from the unaffected site. However, Ca and Mg levels were similar in Kent and Beverly fruits. The inner flesh of the distal region of the fruit, the location at which the soft nose disorder develops, was found to have the lowest Ca concentration in the whole fruit. The low fruit Ca content from the site prone to soft nose is therefore a possible contributing factor in the development of the disorder. However, cultivar susceptibility clearly plays a significant role which cannot be accounted for in terms of Ca content or distribution.