Vegetos

Abstract

Mango fruits require ripening treatment after harvest to hasten ripening and develop ideal eating quality. Present investigations were carried out to elucidate the potential of ethephon as postharvest dip treatment for enhancement of ripening and quality characteristics of ‘Dashehari’ mango fruits. Freshly harvested fruits were immersed in aqueous solutions of ethephon at 0, 200, 400, 600 or 800 μLL⁻¹ and then placed at ambient temperature for ripening studies. Evaluation of physico-chemical parameters was made at 0 (before treatment), 48, 72, 96, 120 and 144 hrs of ripening. Pulp colour was expressed as L*, a*, b^*, h⁰ and C^* values. Results indicated that fruit firmness declined linearly to the dose of ethephon applied and fruit texture became edible after 72 hrs in ethephon 600 or 800 μLL⁻¹treatments. Total soluble solids increased with ripening of fruits and maximum values were recorded at the end of ripening period. There was consistent decrease in juice acid content of fruits with ethephon applications. Highest dose of ethephon (800μLL⁻¹) induced ripening in fruits after 72 hrs of treatment but showed detrimental effect on sensory quality afterwards. However, fruits given 600 μLL⁻¹ ethephon dip ripened after 72 hrs after treatments and these fruit maintained excellent quality attributes up to 144 hrs. Ethephon applications exhibited enhancement in colour attributes of fruit pulp in terms of improved redness or yellowness and chroma. The results indicated that dipping mango fruits in 600 μLL⁻¹ ethephon developed the superior ripening quality at ambient temperature.