| dc.description.abstract | Low temperature storage is the most effective method of extending postharvest life and marketing period, and maintain fruit quality because it retards physiological processes such as respiration, ethylene production, ripening and senescence; undesirable metabolic changes, and decay. Unfortunately, for chilling injury sensitive fruits such as mangoes, low temperature storage may be detrimental than beneficial due to chilling injury which reduces mango fruit quality and customer acceptance, compromises the marketing of stored fruits, limit processing industry storage of die fruit and supply and or availability over a long period. The effects of storage temperature and hot water at various temperatures and durations on alleviation of mango chilling injury and fruit quality were evaluated on Keitt mango fruit for die growing season of 2014/2015 in Botswana, flic treatments were mango fruits dipped in distilled water at room temperature (25 ± 2 ’C-control). mango fruits dipped in hot water at 50 and 55 C for a duration of 3, 5 and 10 minutes, and storage temperatures al 4, 7, 10, 13, or 25 ± 2 *C, plus 95% relative humidity (RH). Mango fruits dipped in hot water were cooled and then stored at temperatures indicated above. The results showed that storage temperature, hot water treatment and hot water treatment duration significantly (P < 0.0001) influenced die mango chilling incidence development and severity. As storage temperature decreased below 13 °C, the mango chilling injury7 incidence and severity significantly (P < 0.0001) increased. As the water temperature increased from 25 °C to either 50 or 55 °C, and duration in which mango fruit were held in hot water increased from three to either five or 10 minutes increased, chilling injury incidence and severity significantly (P < 0.0001) decreased. There was a significant (P < 0.0001) effect of die storage temperature and water temperature interaction on mango proline content and electrolyte leakage immediately after cold storage and seven days after cold storage on fruit held at room temperature. As die storage temperature and water temperature decreased, die proline content and electrolyte leakage increased significantly (P < 0.0001). The interactions of storage temperature and hot water temperature, and duration in which mango fruit was treated with hot water, significantly (P < 0.01) maintained fruit quality soluble solids content (SSC),titrable acidity (TA), pH, vitamin C content, fruit color development, firmness, reduced fruit weight loss) during storage and seven days after storage when fruit was kept at room temperature. Keitt mango fruits treated with hot water at 55 °C for 10 minutes and stored at 7 °C significantly (P < 0.0001) increased fruit shelf-life to nine weeks compared to a shelf-life of two weeks on fruits treated with hot water at 55 °C for 10 minutes but stored at 25 °C. The quality of Keitt mango fruits and shelf-life was significantly (P < 0 0001) improved b\ the interactions of storage temperature, hot water temperature and duration in which the fruit were held in hot water. It was recommended that in order to reduce Keitt mango chilling injury incidence and severity, maintain fruit quality, and extend the shelf-life and marketing period; the fruit should be treated with hot water at 55 °C for 10 minutes and then stored at 7 °C. | en_US |
