INFLUENCE OF PRE-HARVEST SPRAYS OF CALCIUM CHLORIDE ON POST- HARVEST BEHAVIOR OF MANGO FRUITS, CV.ALPHONSO

Study of post-harvest behavior of mango fruits (Mangifera indica L.) Cv.Alphonso under preharvest spray influence of calcium chloride was carried out at the “A’ block of mango orchard at UAS, Bangalore, GKVK Campus, Karnataka, India. Mango trees were sprayed with 0.5, 1.00 and 1.5 per cent CaCl2 at 30 days and 15 days before harvest with the objectives of extending the shelf-life of fruits and delay the ripening process. Fruits sprayed with 1.50% at 30 days before harvest took more number of days for ripening (19.22 days) while it was least in control (14.77 days). The shelf-life was extended in mango fruits sprayed with 1.50% CaCl2 at 30 days before harvest (24.33 days) and it was least in fruits from control trees (18.89 days). Mango physical proprieties like fruit length, breadth, thickness, volume, weight of fruit and pulp weight of the fruits as well as chemical proprieties of fruits such as TSS, total sugars, reducing sugar and non-reducing sugar were improved when trees were sprayed with 1.50% CaCl2 at 30 days before harvest in fruits. The organoleptic qualities like taste, appearance and overall acceptance of the fruits were good and comparable with that of non-sprayed trees (control) in fruits under studies.