Reduction of chilling injury in 'Tommy Atkins' mangoes during ripening.
Majeed Mohammed, Brecht J. K.
Author Affiliation: Department of Food Production, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.
Scientia Horticulturae 95 : 297-308
Abstract : Studies were conducted to investigate how harvest maturity influence fruit ripening processes to alleviate chilling injury (CI) in mangoes (cv. Tommy Atkins). Fruits at three stages of maturity, immature (M1), half-mature (M2) and mature (M3), were stored for 18 days at 5°C and then at 1 or 3 days at 20°C. M1 fruits succumbed to CI after 18 days at 5°C, with symptoms increasing in severity upon warming. Low C2H4 production, poor colour development, minor changes to fruit composition, insipid flavour and poor aroma revealed that fruit ripening was insufficient to reduce CI compared to M2 and M3 fruits. M2 and M3 fruits had higher C2H4 production rates than M1 fruits and ripened normally with acceptable flavour and aroma after 18 days at 5°C and 3 days at 20°C. While M3 fruits had no CI symptoms, they were overripe and fruit decay incidence was 26.6%, compared to M2 fruits which had no decay, a trace of CI symptoms and possessed the best overall quality.