Effects of Postharvest Treatments on the Storage Quality of Mango (Mangifera indica L)

Abstract

A study was conducted in the postharvest laboratory of the Federal College of Horticulture Dadinkowa, Gombe State, Nigeria, to investigate the effects of some postharvest treatments, namely; hot water treatment, gibberellic acid, ground nut oil, extracts of garlic, extracts of neem leaves, mixture of extracts of neem leaves and garlic and distilled water (control) on the storage quality of mango fruits. The experiment was laid out in a complete randomized design (CRD) replicated three times. The results indicated that all the treatments reduced weight loss, fruit diameter, fruit decay and loss in firmness. However, gibberellic acid was found to be most effective in minimizing fruit weight loss and fruit diameter when compared with other treatments. In terms of fruit decay and fruit firmness however, mixture of extracts of neem leaves and garlic (500 ml each) performed better than all other treatments throughout the storage period of 15 days. Hence, it can be concluded that application of gibberellic acid and extracts of neem leaves and garlic enhances the shelf life of mango fruits, and can maintain good fruit quality under ambient condition for up to 15 days.