Role of ethylene on ripening of Kesar mango fruits

Abstract

Mango fruit Cv. Kesar were exposed to ethylene gas (100 ppm) for 12, 18 and 24 h in fruit ripening chamber (29.4-31.9 0C. with 65-84% R.H.) and the untreated fruit was kept at ambient temperature (26-30 0C with 54-62% R.H.). The fruits were then removed from the ripening chamber at the end of exposure period, packed in corrugated fibreboard boxes and then kept at ambient condition to study the ripening behaviour. In ethephon dip treatments, mango fruits were treated with ethephon at the concentration of 500,750 and 1000 ppm for five minutes, drained, packed in corrugated fibreboard boxes and then kept at ambient condition. It was found that Kesar mango fruits exposed to the ethylene gas in the ripening chamber and ethephon dip treatment triggered the ripening process. It was observed that Kesar mango fruits ripened by exposing them to 100 ppm ethylene gas in ripening chamber for 18 hrs and storage at ambient condition recorded the maximum shelf life of 6 days and showed better results in respect of high overall acceptability score of 8.77. Similarly, mango fruits ripened by ethephon dip treatment of 750 ppm for 5 minutes and storage at ambient condition recorded the maximum shelf life of 8 days and showed better results in respect of high overall acceptability score of 8.66, respectively.