Response of mango fruits to post harvest chemicals and packaging during cold storage

Mango is a climacteric fruit it undergoes various biochemical changes after ripening and has very short post-harvest life at ambient conditions. The present experiment was undertaken to study the effect of various post harvest treatments on storage life of Langra mango fruits at Department of Fruit Science, PAU, Ludhiana. Mango fruits harvested at optimum maturity, were given post harvest dip treatments of CaCl₂ (2.0, 4.0%) and GA₃ (100, 200 ppm) or in combination with LDPE packaging. The fruits were placed in CFB boxes and subsequently stored at 13±1°C with 90–95% RH for 34 days. All the treatments reduced PLW over control, however, LDPE packaging treatments were more effective in reducing PLW. Sensory quality improved upto 27 days of storage in all LDPE packaging treatments whereas in rest of treatments, it declined after 20 days of storage. No spoilage in fruits was noticed in LDPE treatments while others showed deterioration after 27 days of storage and maximum spoilage was noticed in untreated fruits. Results revealed that CaCl₂ 2% and GA₃ with LDPE packaging was most effective in maintaining fruit quality during storage.