Effect of calcium sprays and fruit ripeness on the incidence of internal breakdown on Cv. Tommy Atkins mangoes

Eduardo  Seibert; Renar João  Bender

Effect of calcium sprays and fruit ripeness on the incidence of internal breakdown on Cv. Tommy Atkins mangoes

Autores

Eduardo Seibert

Renar João Bender

Editor

Asociación Iberoamericana de Tecnología Postcosecha, S.C.

Descripción

Internal breakdown (IB) of mangoes (Mangifera indica L.) is a major cause of quality losses in production areas around the world. Losses, sometimes exceeding 80%, have been associated to calcium deficiency and to fruit ripening on the tree. With the objective to reduce the incidence of IB and to evaluate the effects of fruit ripeness stage on the occurrence of IB, calcium chloride was sprayed to mango trees, cv. Tommy Atkins. Four calcium sprays were applied at concentrations of 5 or 10 g.dm-3 at anthesis and up to 81 days thereafter. Mangoes were harvested at the mature green and tree-ripe ripeness stages. There was no influence of calcium sprays on the percentage of damaged fruit by IB. Harvesting at the mature green ripeness stage resulted in less mangoes with IB compared to harvesting at the tree-ripe stage. Tree-ripe harvested mangoes had lower flesh firmness and titratable acidity, but higher total soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio than mangoes harvested at the mature-green ripeness stage. Calcium sprays did not improve concentrations in fruit pulp neither did they ameliorate fruit firmness or total soluble solids contents, however calcium applications increased the titratable acidity of the fruit and decreased the sugars to acids ratio.