Conditioning 'Kensington' mango with hot air alleviates hot water disinfestation injuries.
Jacobi K., Giles J., MacRae E., Wegrzyn T.
Author Affiliation: Horticulture Postharvest Group, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, 19 Hercules Street, Hamilton 4007, Queensland, Australia.
HortScience 30 : 562-565
Abstract : In an effort to develop an inexpensive alternative to vapour-heat insect disinfestation of mango, the effect of postharvest hot water treatments (HWT) on fruit quality of cv. Kensington was determined. Fruits were given 46°C HWT for 30 min at a fruit core temperature of 45° either 24 h after harvest or after various conditioning treatments of 4 to 24 h at 39 ± 1° in air. Fruits were compared with non-treated fruits after a subsequent period of 7 days at 22°. The HWT increased fruit softening and reduced chlorophyll fluorescence and disease incidence. The longer conditioning times produced softer fruits. Conditioning reduced damage to the fruits caused by HWT. Preconditioning for ?8 h resulted in 1% of fruits being damaged as shown by cavities, skin scald and starch layer formation. The quantitatively measured higher mesocarp starch content paralleled the visible starch layer injury. Skin yellowing increased in response to HWTs that were not damaging to the fruit. Fruit ripening changes were unequally affected by HWT and by conditioning before HWT; thus, the sequence and extent of these changes must be determined to establish a reliable and useful hot water disinfestation treatment.