Effect of hot air disinfestation treatment in combination with simulated air freight conditions on quality of 'Kensington' mango (Mangifera indica Linn.

Abstract

The quality of 'Kensington' mangoes (Mangifera indica Linn.) from 2 major Queensland production regions was evaluated following a hot air [HAT, also known as vapour heat (VHT)] disinfestation treatment (46.5¦C seed surface temperature held for 10 min under conditions of high humidity) combined with a disease control treatment (55¦C water for 5 min) prior to HAT, and storage conditions likely to be encountered during air shipment to Japan (either 10¦C for 5 days plus 22¦C for 5 days, or 13¦C for 5 days plus 22¦C for 5 days, or 22¦C for 10 days). Final quality was optimum if fruit were treated with HAT alone and stored at 22¦C. Fruit injury, in the form of skin browning and lenticel spotting, was particularly severe in HAT plus disease controI fruit stored at 10/22¦C. Storage at 10¦C combined with heat treatments may be too stressful to fruit physiology, leading to fruit injury and reduced fruit quality at the market destination.