MANGO

Mangifera indica

Postharvest Storage
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1 Pre-harvesting conditions and picking

1.1 Growing conditions

The mango (Mangifera indica) is commercially the most important variety of the Mangifera genus.

Mango trees can become 35-40 metres high, and can have a crown diameter of some 10 metres. The
adult mango fruit hangs on a long stem. The fruit can become 10-25 cm long with a diameter of 7-12
cm. The weight of the fruit can be as much as 2.5 kg. The ripe fruit has a yellow, orange, green or red
colour. A mango has one large stone.

2 Climate and weather

Mangoes are grown in (frost-free) tropical and sub-tropical countries, such as India, Pakistan, South
and Central America, the Caribbean, South and Central Africa, Australia and South-east Asia. There
are more than 1000 cultivars. Well-known commercial varieties are Haden, Keitt, Kesar, Alphonso,
Valencia Pride, Badami, Chaunsa Nam Dok Mai, Glenn, Sindhri, Madame Francique and Tommy
Atkins. There are 2 types of mango: the Indian type and the type from the Philippines and South-east
Asia. The Indian type cannot tolerate a high relative humidity and is prone to mildew. The other type
can tolerate a high relative humidity and is resistant to mildew.

3 Picking time and method

Mangoes are usually harvested when they have reached maximum size and have not (quite) started to
ripen. The optimum time for harvesting is not easy to establish, but can be determined somewhat by
the following characteristics:

Shape: a change in the shape of the fruit (filling of the "cheeks" and the shape of the
"shoulders").
Peel colour: For some sorts, a change in colour from dark green through light green to yellow
indicates ripeness. But: for many mango varieties the peel colour is not related to the internal
colour and ripeness.

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Flesh colour: from greenish-yellow to yellow to orange.

Firmness: the riper the fruit, the softer it is. (test using a penetrometer)

Mango Ripening Index example

(Source: www.mango.org)

Mangoes are harvested manually. This is often far from simple due to the enormous size and height of
the trees. Special aids have to be used to harvest the fruit. A "picking pole" is often used. This is a
long stick, with a sack attached in a metal loop having a cutting angle to sever the fruit stem.

Because not all fruit on a tree ripen at the same time, it is necessary to harvest more than once. As the
season progresses however, there is an increased chance of fruit falling off.

During harvesting the fruit lose juice through the severed stem. This milky juice can dry up and later
become a problem causing fungal growth, as well as oxidation of this juice, resulting in a patchy
appearance.

It is advisable to harvest early in the morning or late in the evening due to the extremely high
environmental temperatures.

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4 Post-harvest, packing and sorting

Due to the very high product temperature during harvesting (up to 30C), the mangoes must be cooled
as soon as possible to the optimum storage temperature after harvesting. "Pre-cooling" using flow
cooling (fast cooling using cold air) has positive effects: moisture loss is reduced and the shelf life is
extended because ripening is inhibited.

Hydro cooling (cooling with cold water) is also an option. This method also inhibits ripening and
extends both storage time and the shelf life. Moreover, hydro cooling is the fastest cooling method: by
immersing the fruit in a bath at 4-5 C for 30 minutes, the fruit temperature is reduced by 16 C,
extending the storage time by 4 days.

5 Storage
The advice below concerns general storage conditions that are scientifically recommended but they
are not specific for a particular region or orchard. So this is merely an indication from which no rights
can be derived. Ask a local university or research station for advice.

5.1 Temperature and Relative Humidity

Mangoes are stored at a temperature between 8 13 C, depending on the variety and ripeness. The
Asian type is stored at high relative humidity (9095 %), but the Indian type cannot endure a high
relative humidity. Mangoes are sensitive to damage from cold: this means the storage temperature
must not drop below 13 C (fully-grown green mangoes) or 10 C (partly ripe and ripe mangoes).
There is a great difference in sensitivity between the different varieties: it is said that Dasheri and
Langra can tolerate storage temperatures of 7 8 C for 25 days. But there are also varieties which
need to be stored above 10 C. Generally, 12 13 C is considered safe. Partly ripe fruit can be
stored at a slightly lower temperature (e.g. 10 C).

5.2 Gas composition

The Controlled Atmosphere storage of mangoes inhibits ripening by reducing the respiration rate and
the ethylene production. In CA the optimum for mango storage is 3 7 % O2 and 5 8 % CO2 (by
increasing the CO2 the fruit retains its firmness). Depending on the variety and stage of ripeness,
mangoes can be stored 3 6 weeks in CA at 13 C (2-4 weeks in ordinary cooling).
Too low a concentration of O2 (< 2 %) can result in peel abnormalities, and also an abnormal taste due
to fermentation. Too high a concentration of O2 (> 10%) can also result in an abnormal taste, and also
softer fruit and greyish flesh.
Increasing use is being made of CA conditions during ship transportation. It is strongly advised here to
treat the fruit with hot water in order to reduce anthracnose (mould).

6 Storage abnormalities and deterioration

Typical storage and handling exceptions for mangoes are (among others):

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Milky juice burning a dark brown to black discolouring on the peel as a result of milky juice
from the fruit stem.
Peel damage: peel discolouring accompanied by increased moisture loss can arise as a result
of rubbing against rough surfaces or against other fruit
Cold damage (L.T.B.): uneven ripening, poor colour and taste development, pitting, greyish
flesh, an increase in sensitivity for rotting and in serious cases brown coloured flesh. Cold
damage depends on the variety, ripeness, temperature and storage time.
Heat damage: damage in the form of peel discolouring can arise if the fruit has been exposed
to too high a temperature and/or for too long either during storage or during heat treatment
against insects or hot water treatment against mould.
Premature ripening (jelly seed): disintegration of the flesh into a kind of gel-like mass.

MILKY JUICE BURNING PEEL DAMAGE

L.T.B.

PREMATURE RIPENING

L.T.B.

The principal cause of parasitic deterioration is Colletotrichum gloeosporoides (anthracnose). A

number of other moulds can also affect the fruit. For more details about Post Harvest problems and
abnormalities in mangoes, we refer you to books by Anna L.
Snowdon and Meheriuk et al, or Lidster et al.

6.1 Ethylene

As long as the ripening process has not started, mangoes produce very little ethylene. At this stage
the mangoes are fairly sensitive to exogenous ethylene, which will initiate ripening. As a consequence,
the mango itself will start to produce ethylene (autocatalytic ethylene production). Use is made of this
property by harvesting the unripe fruit and exposing it to exogenous ethylene in ripening cells before
or after transport, thereby starting the ripening process.

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Ethylene treatment is best done at 20 - 22 C and 90 95 % RH with 100 - 150 ppm ethylene, for 12 -
24 hours. The CO2 content must remain below 1%.

6.2 Packaging

Mangoes with dents will develop mould where dented. Ethylene production will also increase at these
places, and this will influence other mangoes (without dents). This means mangoes must be handled
with great care.

The fruit is placed in plastic crates while harvesting (photo 1 below). A warm water treatment can be
carried out. After sorting, the mangoes are individually packed in protective nets (photo 2) and placed
in a cardboard box.

In some countries, locally produced wooden boxes are still used, which are then often filled up too
much with fruit (photo 3).

1 2 3

Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 3

7 Sorting
Sorting for size and quality is done in a number of steps:

1. Allowing the milky juice to flow off. The stems of the fruit supplied are placed on special tables
in such a way that the juice leaking off falls down onto a catchment plate. This step is
necessary to prevent milky juice burning on the fruit.

2. Hot water treatment. This treatment, at the start of the sorting line, is done in water at about 50
C for 5-10 minutes (depending on the fruit size). This treatment, which often includes a
fungicide solution in the water, protects the fruit against fungal diseases (especially
anthracnose).

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3. The sorting process itself, which is done on the basis of size and quality is carried out, in
practice, in large installations.

For international trade, the quality, sorting and packaging regulations as well as the related tolerances
have been included in the Marketing Standards.

8 Transport
If mangoes are to be transported over long distances, use is made of lorries and ships with cooling
and CA storage facilities.

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9 Product characteristics

kCal / (tonnes x day)

Heat production
10C 20C

1464-1952 4270-9760

Litres / (tonnes x day)

CO2 production 20C

10C
840-1920
288-384

Freezing point
-1.4C

Optimum storage
temperature 8-13C

Optimum R.H.
90-95%

Optimum CA conditions
5 8 % CO2 + 3 7 % O2

Ethylene production 0.1-0.5 l/kghr at 10C

0.5-8.0 l/kghr at 20C

Maximum shelf life 2 - 4 weeks (air)

3 - 6 weeks (CA)

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