ABSTRACT

Management of the mango crop requires information on many parameters and processes. In this chapter, focus is directed to methods to assess fruit load (quantity) and quality (in its various forms), both infield and postharvest. Further, a decision support system (DSS) that utilises such information to guide management practices is described. This progression follows the dictum, ‘Data is not Information, Information is not Knowledge, Knowledge is not Wisdom’. For example, fruit dry matter (DM) can be measured (data), interpreted in terms of fruit maturation (information) and used in guiding harvest timing (knowledge). Imperatives in this progression are knowledge of the biology of the issue and a robust measurement technique. Thus the first requirement is to define what attributes are useful to measure, the second to measure these attributes accurately and cost effectively and the third is to utilise such information within a management system.