Conditioning 'Kensington' mango with hot air alleviates hot water disinfestation injuries

• Published in: HortScience Vol. 30; no. 3; pp. 562 - 565
• Main Authors: Jacobi, K. (Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Hamilton, Queensland, Australia.), Giles, J, MacRae, E, Wegrzyn, T
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Alexandria, VA American Society for Horticultural Science 01.06.1995
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; BACTROCERA; Biological and medical sciences; CALIDAD; CERATITIS CAPITATA; DURACION; DUREE; ESTERILIZACION; FRUITS; FRUTAS; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Harvesting. Postharvest. Storage; MANGO; MANGUE; QUALITE; STERILISATION (GERMES); TECHNOLOGIE APRES RECOLTE; TECNOLOGIA POSTCOSECHA; TRAITEMENT THERMIQUE; TRATAMIENTO TERMICO; Vegetative propagation. Sowing and planting. Harvesting; Heat treatment; Biochemical analysis; Fruit; Starch; Mangifera indica; Tropical crop; Postharvest; Hot water; Physical control; Controlled environment study; Pest management; Fruit crop; Dicotyledones; Quality; Angiospermae; Spermatophyta; Fruit tree; Damage; Anacardiaceae
• ISSN: 0018-5345; 2327-9834
• DOI: 10.21273/HORTSCI.30.3.562

In an effort to develop an inexpensive alternative to vapor-heat insect disinfestation of 'Kensington' mango (Mangifera indica Linn.), the effect of postharvest hot water treatments (HWT) on fruit quality was determined. Fruit were given 46C HWT for 30 minutes at a fruit core temperature of 45C either 24 hours after harvest or after various conditioning treatments of 4 to 24 hours at 39 +/- 1C in air. Fruit were compared to nontreated fruit after a subsequent 7 days at 22C. The HWT increased fruit softening and reduced chlorophyll fluorescence and disease incidence. The longer conditioning times produced softer fruit. Conditioning reduced damage to the fruit caused by HWT. Preconditioning for greater than or equal to 8 hours resulted in 1% of fruit 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