Preharvest treatment of Ca, K, and B reduces softening of tissue in 'Dashehari' mango.
Singh D. K., Ram R. B., Yadava L. P.
Author Affiliation: Department of Horticulture, Kulbhashkar Ashram Degree College, Allahabad (UP), India.
International Journal of Fruit Science 13 : 299-311
Abstract : 'Dashehari' mango is known for its superior taste, but it has a troulesome disorder of tissue softening near the stone. An experiment using different concentrations and combinations of soil or foliar applications of Ca, K, and B was conducted to test the effects on postharvest quality of 'Dashehari' mangoes at different stages of maturity. Besides postharvest quality, their effects on gas exchange parameters of the plant, fruit yield, micro and major nutrients level of the soil, leaves, and pulp, and soil microbial populations were also evaluated. The contribution of these attributes to the incidence of pulp softening was assessed. Significant improvement in the quality parameters of fruits in terms of firmness (kg cm-2), total soluble solids (°Brix), physiological weight loss, and chromacity values (L, a, b, and YI) were recorded in fruits harvested from different treatments at various periods of maturity. Gas exchange parameters and yields were enhanced in the treated trees, when compared with control trees.