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Effect of nitrogen on the skin colour and other quality attributes of ripe ‘Kensington Pride’ mango (Mangifera indica L.) fruit

Nguyen, H., Hofman, P. J., Holmes, R., Bally, I. S.E., Stubbings, B. and McConchie, R. (2004) Effect of nitrogen on the skin colour and other quality attributes of ripe ‘Kensington Pride’ mango (Mangifera indica L.) fruit. Journal of Horticultural Science & Biotechnology, 79 (2). pp. 204-210.

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Publisher URL: http://www.jhortscib.com/index.htm

Abstract

Near-ripe ‘Kensington Pride’ mango (Mangifera indica L.) fruit with green skin colour generally return lower wholesale and retail prices. Pre-harvest management, especially nitrogen (N) nutrition, appears to be a major causal factor. To obtain an understanding of the extent of the problem in the Burdekin district (dry tropics; the major production area in Australia), green mature ‘Kensington Pride’ mango fruit were harvested from ten orchards and ripened at 20 ± 0.5 O C. Of these orchards, 70% produced fruit with more than 25% of the skin surface area green when ripe.

The following year, the effect of N application on skin colour and other quality attributes was investigated on three orchards, one with a high green (HG) skin problem and two with a low green (LG) skin problem. N was applied at pre-flowering and at panicle emergence at the rate of 0,75,150,300 g per tree (soil applied) or 50 g per tree as foliar N for the HG orchard, and 0,150,300,450 g per tree (soil applied) or 50 g per tree (foliar) for the LG orchards. In all orchards the proportion of green colour on the ripe fruit was significantly (P<0.05) higher with soil applications of 150 g N or more per tree. Foliar sprays resulted in a higher proportion of green colour than the highest soil treatment in the HG orchard, but not in the LG orchards.

Anthracnose disease severity was significantly (P<0.05) higher with 300 g of N per tree or foliar treatment in the HG orchard, compared with no additional N. Thus, N can reduce mango fruit quality by increasing green colour and anthracnose disease in ripe fruit.

Item Type:Article
Business groups:Horticulture and Forestry Science
Additional Information:Reproduced with permission from Headley Brothers Ltd. Access to published version may be available via Publisher’s website.
Keywords:Kensington Pride; Mangifera indica L.; quality attributes; nitrogen; green fruit colour.
Subjects:Plant culture > Fruit and fruit culture > Culture of individual fruits or types of fruit > Stonefruit
Agriculture > Agriculture (General) > Fertilisers
Live Archive:28 Jun 2004
Last Modified:31 Oct 2022 03:32

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