Accelerated ripening of 'Alphonso' mangoes by the application of ethrel.
Lakshminarayana S., Shetty M. S., Krishnaprasad C. A.
Author Affiliation: Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, India.
Tropical Science 17 : 95-101
Abstract : Cv. Alphonso mangoes, harvested at various stages of maturity 13-16 weeks after fruit set, were subjected to post-harvest treatment with ethephon at 500 or 1000 p.p.m. in hot or cold water, and were subsequently allowed to ripen at ambient temperatures (24 deg -28 deg C with an RH of 68%). Ethephon treatment in hot water accelerated ripening and reduced spoilage. The period of maximum carbon dioxide production during respiration was also greatly advanced. Treated fruits possessed excellent surface and colour. Fruits treated with ethephon in cold water showed no marked changes in external colour but exhibited similar changes in ripening and respiration. Higher concentrations of ethephon in hot water induced discoloration in slightly bruised fruits.