ABSTRACT
Post-harvest storage management of mango fruit Noam Alkan, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Israel; and Anirudh Kumar, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Israel and Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU), India
1 Introduction: the mango fruit
2 Harvest operations
3 Post-harvest operations: managing mango fruit diseases
4 Post-harvest operations: use of ethylene, 1-MCP, modified and controlled atmospheres, waxes and edible coatings
5 Post-harvest operations: quarantine treatments
6 Preparing fruit for market
7 Conclusions
8 Where to look for further information
9 Abbreviations
10 References
1.1 Origins and global production The mango (Mangifera indica L.) is a dicotyledonous plant of the family Anacardiaceae, generally cultivated in tropical and subtropical climatic zones (Bompard, 2009). The mango is referred to as the ‘king of fruits’ (particularly in India) due to its nutritional benefits, excellent exotic flavour and versatile uses. Mango is a pulpy, sweet, climacteric drupe fruit. It is mostly eaten when it is fresh and ripe. Alternatively, processed mangoes are also consumed in the form of juices, nectars, pickles, jams and fruit creams, among others. Consumer acceptance of mango fruit relies on both external and internal quality aspects (Kader, 2002). The quality of mango depends on various factors, including cultivar, maturity at harvest, pre-and post-harvest handling practices, mechanical damage, chilling injury (CI) and post-harvest rots (Kader 2008a,b; Brecht et al., 2010).
