Ripening degree at harvest and ethylene conditioning facilitate the mango process for frozen cheeks

Authors: OSUNA-GARCIA, JORGE - Instituto Nacional De Investigaciones Forestales Y Agropecuarias (INIFAP); GOMEZ-JAIMES, RAFAEL - Instituto Nacional De Investigaciones Forestales Y Agropecuarias (INIFAP); Goenaga, Ricardo; GARCIANO-CRISTOBAL, MARIA - Instituto Nacional De Investigaciones Forestales Y Agropecuarias (INIFAP)

Submitted to: Acta horticulturae
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/10/2024
Publication Date: 1/30/2025
Citation: Osuna-Garcia, J.A., Gomez-Jaimes, R., Goenaga, R.J., Garciano-Cristobal, M.J. 2025. Ripening degree at harvest and ethylene conditioning facilitate the mango process for frozen cheeks. Acta horticulturae. 1415: 297-304. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2025.1415.35.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2025.1415.35

Interpretive Summary: A major problem with processing frozen mango is that the fruits often have uneven ripeness when they arrive at the processing plant, which affects quality and yield. This problem is caused by how the fruit is handled on the tree and how it ripens after being harvested. What Was Achieved: This research developed a protocol for the optimal handling of mangoes for freezing, focusing on determining the best ripeness stage for harvest and the ideal conditions for ethylene treatment to improve quality and yield. By implementing this protocol, it was found that harvesting mangoes at the three-quarters ripening stage and treating fruits with ethylene at 100 ppm for 24 hours in a cold room significantly improved the quality and consistency of frozen mangoes. This approach prevents overly rapid softening of the fruit, leading to better results for frozen mango processors.

Technical Abstract: According to the National Mango Board and mango processors, one of the most remarkable challenges during the processing of frozen mango is the unevenness of the fruit maturity at harvest and arrival to the factory. This unevenness is strongly correlated to the handling of the fruit on the tree, and the ripening process after harvest. In response to this problem, this project was established to generate a protocol for the optimal handling of mango fruit for freezing. This involved determining the optimal ripening degree at harvest for the maximum yield and quality of frozen cheeks or cubes in 'Tommy Atkins', 'Tom my-Kent', 'Kent', and 'Keitt'. Plus, to define the appropriate temperatures and times for the application of exogenous ethylene. To achieve these objectives, commercial orchards of each of the evaluated cultivars were selected. Continuous monitoring of the fruit development and growth was carried out to be able to harvest them in two stages of ripening degree (green mature and three quarters). In each cultivar, 240 fruits were harvested at the aforementioned stages, and they were subjected to conditioning with ethylene, at ambient conditions (average 28.8°C) and in cold room (22-24 °C). The results showed significant differences in terms of ripening degree at harvest and ethylene conditioning. Consequently, frozen mango processors are recommended to choose to harvest the fruit when they reach three-quarters stage and carry out treatment with ethylene at 100 ppm for 24 h in cold room, instead of doing it at room temperature as it is done normally. This modification is based on the fact that conditioning with ethylene at room temperature extremely accelerated the fruit softening.