MSc.

Mango (Mangifera indica L.), the king of fruits, relished by majority, occupies first position in production in India and world. The problems featured in the journey of the fruits from field to market are numerous. Burondkar et al. (2018) estimated that about 20 - 30 per cent of harvested mango fruits became sub-standard due to rough handling, pathogenic infestations, improper packaging, unhygienic storage and indecorous mode of transportation. This shows the necessity of improving post harvest management practices to enhance shelf life without deteriorating its quality. The investigation on the “Post harvest management practices in mango (Mangifera indica L.)” was carried out at the Department of Post Harvest Technology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, Thrissur, Kerala during 2018-2020. The objectives were to standardise post harvest and ripening treatments for important commercial mango varieties of Muthalamada, Palakkad, from where the mango fruits reach Indian markets in early season.
The effect of different post harvest treatments on mango fruits during storage were studied in four mango varieties such as Alphonso, Bennet Alphonso, Banganapalli and Bangalora. The physical and biochemical changes of treated fruits, stored under both ambient and cold storage conditions were studied. The postharvest treatments given were hot water dip, hydro cooling, sanitization with sodium hypo chlorite solution, ozonisation, waxing and dipping in sodium bicarbonate solution. Among the different treatments, 1 per cent Nipro fresh (carnauba wax) coated fruits stored under cold storage at 12±20C recorded good quality attributes in both Alphonso and Bangalora varieties. Coated fruits of Alphonso maintained quality evidenced by reduction in PLW (6.52 %), delayed colour change (16 days), firmness (0.09 N), acidity (0.21%), ascorbic acid (49.50mg/ 100g), total carotenoid (7.80mg/100g), total sugar (13.90 %), non reducing sugar (12.10 %) and TSS (170 brix) even after a storage period of 23 days. Fruits of Bangalora coated with wax had extended the shelf life up to 26.50 days against control fruits (17.50days) with lowest PLW (7.80 %), delayed colour change (26 days), acidity (0.10%), firmness (0.32 N ), ascorbic acid (9.95 mg/100g), total sugar (7.86%) and a TSS of 110 brix.
In Bennet Alphonso, dip in sodium hypochlorite solution (100ppm) for five minutes was suitable for getting a lowest PLW (9.63 %), firmness (0.07 N), acidity (0.17 %), higher TSS (18.50 brix), ascorbic acid (23.32 mg/ 100g), total sugar (12.60
%), reducing sugar (3.18 %), total carotenoid (6 mg/ 100g) and a storage period of 28.50 days.
In Banganapalli, the fruits treated with ozone were good in quality attributes like TSS (18.200 brix), total sugar (15.20 %), non reducing sugar (8.84 %), ascorbic acid (6.76 mg/ 100g), delayed colour change (15 days), firmness (0.28 N), acidity (0.13 %), total carotenoid (1.72 mg/ 100g) and PLW of 14.10 per cent with a storage life of 23 days in cold storage.
Standardization of ripening techniques was done in the variety Bennet Alphonso at their full mature stage. The fruits were subjected to different ripening treatments and kept for storage under ambient condition. Among various treatments, ethrel (200 ppm) sprayed fruits induced uniform ripening within four days followed by hot water dipped (50±20C, for one minute) fruits which ripened in five days as against eight days in control. Spraying ethrel (200 ppm) had a longer keeping quality of 11 days with good quality attributes like TSS (18.170brix), total carotenoids (16.10mg/100g), ascorbic acid (12.86), firmness (0.20 N), total sugar (12.56%) and a highest score (7.20) in overall acceptability in sensory evaluation. Hot water treated fruits were fully ripened in five days and exhibited longer keeping time of 12 days with good quality parameters like TSS (150brix), acidity (0.37%), total carotenoids (33.98mg/100g), ascorbic acid (22.50mg/100g), firmness (0.49 N), total sugar (11.19%) and non reducing sugar (7.12%) with a score of 6.55 in overall acceptability in sensory evaluation.