EFFECT OF PRE-HARVEST TREATMENTS ON POST-HARVEST QUALITY AND SHELF LIFE OF MANGO

Abstract

Pre-harvest management that extends the shelf life of mango is limited in developing countries like Bangladesh. An experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of pre-harvest treatments on shelf-life and quality of mango fruits cv. Amrapali. at 20 and 10 days before harvesting (DBH), mango trees were sprayed with different treatments; water spray (control), 2% calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ), 1% potassium sulphate (K 2 SO 4 ii ), 75 ppm gibberellic acid (GA 3 ), and 200 ppm salicylic acid (SA). Fruit trees sprayed with 75 ppm GA 3 and 200 ppm SA at 20 DBH increased the time to ripen (12 and 11 days after harvesting, respectively) than control trees (6 days). When fruits were sprayed with 75ppm GA 3 at 20 DBH, they had the longest shelf life (17 days), followed by 200 ppm SA at 20 DBH (16 days), compared to control (9 days). Among the treatments, 75 ppm GA 3 at 20 DBH reduced weight loss, pH, disease severity, total soluble solid (percent Brix), and enhanced ascorbic acid, β--Carotene, and titratable acidity. Therefore, 75 ppm GA 3 at 20 DBH is suitable for extending the shelf life and improves the quality of mango