Mango: Effects of preharvest factors on fruit growth, quality and postharvest behavior

International audienceMango (Mangifera indica L.), a tropical fruit of great economic importance, is generally harvested green and then commercialized after a period of storage. Unfortunately, the final quality of mango batches is highly heterogeneous, in terms of fruit size as well as in terms of gustatory quality and postharvest behavior. A large amount of knowledge has been gathered on the effects of postharvest conditions on the final quality of mango, regardless of the maturity stage at harvest. Considerably less attention has been paid to the influence of environmental factors on mango growth, quality traits, and postharvest behavior. In this chapter, we provide a review of studies on mango showing how environmental factors influence the accumulation of water, structural and non-structural dry matter in the fruit during its development. These changes are discussed with respect to the evolution of quality attributes on the tree and after harvest. The preharvest factors presented here are light, temperature, carbon and water availabilities, which can be controlled by various cultural practices such as tree pruning, fruit thinning and irrigation management. We also discuss recent advances in modeling mango function on the tree according to environmental conditions that, combined with experimental studies, can improve our understanding of how these preharvest conditions affect mango growth and quality. Harvest stage is the last but not the least step that can be linked to agronomy. The difficulty in choosing the optimal harvest stage and recent advances in evaluating the degree of fruit maturity are presented here. (Résumé d'auteur

La qualité de la mangue

National audienceno abstrac

A comprehensive integrated approach for more effective control of tropical fruit quality

International audiencePurpose of review: This review emphasises the importance and the necessity of the relationship between pre-and postharvest conditions in order to effectively further the implementation of quality-friendly approaches (nutritional, sensory, health-related) of horticultural crops. Findings: The influence of pedoclimatic conditions, crop management and harvest stage on the variability of fruit and vegetable composition is demonstrated on a regular basis. At the same time, the ability to control plant metabolism using new processes or by combining several techniques makes it possible to increase their storage potential. Improved knowledge of the mechanisms involved allows us to improve prediction models of quality determined in the field and expected changes in batches of stored products. Limitations: The diversity of growing conditions and the lack of knowledge about optimal harvest stages, in addition to extreme conditions of metabolic regulation, can increase the variability of product responses. In the end, consumers may find themselves faced with a product of low nutritional and sensory value, exactly the opposite of what was originally intended. Directions for future research: An approach within a framework of "total quality management" or "comprehensive integrated production" is essential to have an objective vision of the quality offered to the consumer and to have actual proposals for the implementation of postharvest crop management sequences capable of ensuring this quality. This relationship will make it possible to identify all of the variability parameters and to develop models that include pre- and postharvest conditions. Although this "comprehensive integrated production" approach is preferable in general, it is absolutely necessary for tropical crops for two reasons: (1) tropical crops are more easily subjected to variations than crops in temperate zones, and (2) local production conditions must take the legislation of importing countries and the requirements of distributors into account when developing exports, both for tropical or out-of-season crops. (Texte intégral

Predictions of fruit shelf life and quality after ripening: Are quality traits measured at harvest reliable indicators?

International audienc

Effect of fruit position in the canopy on physiological age and physicochemical composition of mango 'Cogshall'

International audienceBy comparing 3 harvest stages for mango, corresponding to two green mature stages (106 and 120 days after full bloom) and one stage at the onset of the climacteric rise (called 'yellow point' for Cv Cogshall), we demonstrated relationships between harvest stage and changes in some ripening and sensorial descriptors according to fruit position in the canopy (fruit and its fruit-bearing branch were either well-exposed to light or within the canopy, treatments named well-exposed and shaded fruit, respectively). Dry matter content and final sugar content (mainly sucrose) were lower in shaded fruit. Similar aromatic compounds were found in ripe fruit, but their contents depended on the fruit position in the canopy. Total aroma content decreased with the harvest stage, but this decrease was mainly due to the drop off of terpens content, the most abundant class. After ripening shaded fruit had a lower content in terpens (especially ?-3-carene) and a lower lactones content compared to well-exposed fruit. Most of these differences decreased with the harvest stage and were minimized at the latest harvest, corresponding to the yellow point stage. These results showed that the environmental conditions have an effect on the building and the growing of mango fruit in a same tree, and so on their physiological ages. An adapted pruning to facilitate access to light in the canopy is particularly important to obtain homogeneous batches. Moreover, the mixing of well-exposed and shaded fruits harvested at different "green mature" stages will induce heterogeneity and differences in quality of ripe fruit for the marketing network. (Résumé d'auteur

Comparison of postharvest changes in mango (cv Cogshall) using a Ripening class index (Rci) for different carbon supplies and harvest dates

International audienceThe length of time between harvest and the onset of the climacteric rise in fruit respiration depends both on the harvest stage and the storage conditions of mango fruit (Mangifera indica cv Cogshall). We therefore propose classifying fruit according to a Ripening class index (Rci) that takes both storage time and climacteric stage into account. Batches of fruit thus obtained are more homogeneous than those sorted according to their storage time or their climacteric stage alone, as shown by the lowest root mean square error values obtained for the majority of the physico-chem. criteria measured, such as total sol. sugars, starch, and total sol. solids contents, titratable acidity, pH, firmness and the ratio of total sol. sugars to total org. acids. The advantage of this classification system for monitoring postharvest changes in mangoes stored at 12 or 20 °C has been demonstrated. The Rci was used to study the impact of agronomic conditions such as the leaf-to-fruit ratio and harvest stage on the changes in physico-chem. criteria traditionally used as quality descriptors. Sugar content increases with the increase in carbon supply and the harvest stage, whereas the titratable acidity and the hue angle decrease during ripening. This type of index can be used to validate the relevance of harvest indicators by verifying the homogeneity of the changes in stored batches or for more effectively assessing the impact of a storage technique on fruit metab. [on SciFinder(R)

Pour que la mangue soit bonne

National audienceno abstrac

Changes in the oxidative status of mango in response to temperature. Impact on quality.

International audienc

Chlorophyll fluorescence as an indicator of when to harvest mango 'Cogshall' fruit according to the market (export or domestic)

International audienceA non-destructive technique to predict harvest date of mango according to the market (domestic or export), combined with the traditional criterion was presented. Changes in chlorophyll fluorescence of mango and in indicators of maturation were evaluate at different maturity stages. Maximal (Fm), minimal (Fo), variable (Fv), variable to maximal ratio (Fv/Fm) chlorophyll fluorescence, fruit size, density, total sugar content in flesh, and respiration rate were evaluated at three harvest dates (i.e. 106, 120 and 132 days after full bloom, the latest corresponding to the traditional date of harvest, according to change in fruit appearance). No difference in Fv/Fm value was found, regardless of the harvest date, while the three maturity stages were differentiated using Fm, Fo, and Fv values. These chlorophyll fluorescence parameters declined with the maturation process. The respiration rate increased with harvest date, especially for fruit from the latest harvest in which the climacteric crisis has begun. Total sugar content and fruit density increased as chlorophyll fluorescence parameters decreased. Chlorophyll fluorescence appeared to be a helpful, non-destructive technique to predict harvest date before visible changes in fruit appearance, especially for export market. Whereas, the traditional criteria could be kept as an indicator to harvest 'Cogshall' mango for domestic market, in which it is not necessary to store fruit. (Résumé d'auteur

A crop simulation model to predict fruit yield and quality on mango tree: overview, progresses and perspectives

International audienceOur aim is to develop a crop model for mango that synthesizes the knowledge acquired on the processes involved in fruit yield and quality development, and biotic and abiotic factors that affect them. To our knowledge, a crop model predicting fruit yield and quality development for a perennial tropical fruit crop is unique.The crop model combines complementary phenological, architectural and eco-physiological viewpoints and relies on two sub-models developed for the cultivar Cogshall in Réunion Island.The first sub-model accounts for carbon and water processes occurring at the branch level during the fruit growing season. It considers weather and source–sink factors and predicts fruit growth and quality development. It is currently completed with fruit maturation processes. It is also being extended to the tree scale and growing cycle by accounting for carbohydrates exchanges at these scales and through its linkage to the second sub-model. This latter accounts for architectural development and phenology. It is based on endogenous factors and temperature-controlled laws. It predicts the number and budburst date of vegetative growth units and inflorescences at the tree scale over successive growing cycles, and represents their development and growth on dynamic 3D models. The crop model will then be linked to a pests model, in particular fruit flies, through phenological stages and the level of fruit maturity.From an applied point of view, the global model will allow simulation-based design of management solutions able to improve mango performances by handling the processes involved in fruit yield and quality development