Effect of Size Grading on the Storage of Mangoes

Dashehari mango fruits were harvested in the end of June and graded into A, B, C on the basis of size and weight. The A-grade fruits were mostly floaters and C-grade were sinkers while B-grade fruits were in-between. After 5 days of storage at room temperature ripe fruits accounted for about 38, 57 and 76 per cent in A, B and C-grades, respectively. However, all the fruits ripened after 7 days but their marketability declined to 100, 80, 50 in A, B, C as compared to 100 per cent on 5th day in all the grades. Since the fruits were harvested late, the decay losses amounted to approx. 18, 33 and 36 per cent in A, B and C grades, respectively after 9 days, but the losses were negligible on 7th day of storage. PLW was lower in A grade fruits. There were not many differences in TSS, acidity or vitamin C but (3-carotene development was much slower in A-grade fruits (2.61 mg/100 g pulp) which may indicate slackened ripening as compared to B and C-grade fruits. On the whole, A-grade fruits ripened gradually, had bigger size, better appearance and marketability.