Mango is one of the most popular summer fruits and is called the king of fruits for its unique aroma, taste, nutritional and medicinal properties. In order to get the best price and good quality of any fruit, it is very important for the gardeners to check the ripeness of the fruit and get information about its timely tolerance, classification, packing and handling.
By adopting these methods, gardeners can sell fruits at good prices from the local and international markets. The harder they work to get a good product, the harder it is for them to test the maturity of their variety and bring it to market so that they can get more profit from their product. When is the mango crop ready? And what is the right time to endure? It is very important for every gardener to know this because if the fruit is picked early it will not ripen properly.
The fruit will not be delicious, the fruit will not produce the right color and it will be difficult to maintain a good quality of fruit in the market. Gardeners get the mango fruit after working day and night and nature also adds all its virtues to it but when it gets the touch of human hands it starts losing its luster. When gardeners separate the fruit from the tree, they do not imagine that the fruit is a living thing. Gardeners should decide on the stage of separating the mango fruit from the tree after careful consideration as the quality of the mango fruit depends on making the right decision.
It usually takes 150-120 days from flowering to fruiting but different time varies for different varieties of mangoes. Depending on the factors such as the full height of the mango shoulders, the type of shape and the amount of sugar inside the mango to be identified. When the amount of sweetness or sugar in the fruit breaks down to 10 to 12 degrees, the mango fruit becomes tolerable. At this stage, if the mango is picked from the tree, then all the characteristics of the mango are better visible when ripe. If the mango is to be exported, then the sugar content should be 8 to 10 degrees Brix as it increases the post-tolerance life of the mango fruit. Not all types of mangoes are the same because they vary significantly in size, color, taste and aroma. Mango tolerance season in Sindh and Punjab is different for the same variety, mainly due to differences in climate between the two provinces. When a mango is separated from a tree, the rest of its life depends on its maturity.
Maturity criteria are generally divided into three different stages of immaturity, medium maturity and full maturity. During the immature stage, it seems that the size of the fruit is complete, which seems to be correct, but the size of the kernel and the amount of sweetness inside it are not correct yet. If mango is tolerated during this time, then after artificial ripening, neither the color of the fruit is properly pronounced nor the taste and aroma are able to attract anyone. If we test the amount of sweetness at this stage with the help of Refracto Meter, it will be known that the sweetness or sugar is less than 8 degree bricks. The second stage of maturity, which we call intermediate maturity, is very important in terms of marketing of mangoes, based on which it is determined how long the fruit can be preserved.
Fruits picked during this stage have all the characteristics after ripening. Fruits tolerated at this stage can be stored in cold storage, which can last up to 3 to 4 weeks. It is very important for mango exporters to know all the stages of maturity, especially the middle stage. Because the duration of fruit delivery is decided on this basis. During this stage of maturation, if the fruit is cut in the middle of the length, then the color of the pulp also appears to be inclined towards the pilahat. If the fruit is tolerated at this stage then after ripening we will get all the qualities in the fruit which have this particular variety or type. In the third and final stage of ripening, the fruit is 100 percent ripe. This is the stage when the color of the pulp has shifted to a very pale color and bumps have formed around the fruit stalk which is a special sign of full maturity of the mango. Mangoes tolerated at this stage of maturation do not have a long shelf life. Direct access to the fruit should be obtained.
If the fruit is cut without a stalk, a liquid substance (dhodak) will flow and freeze on the surface of the fruit. The fruit starts to spoil. When this fruit reaches the market, it has become very bad. * This fluid also affects the peel and the affected surface of the fruit becomes colored or spotted which reduces the quality of the fruit. The best solution to this problem is to allow the bearing stem to stay with the fruit up to 5 mm at a time, which can then be cut apart. When mango is tolerated, the weather is very hot which affects the mango fruit. Therefore, gardeners should try to tolerate the fruit in the morning, as the heat of the day has significantly reduced the cooling of the night.
Very good results can be obtained by using scissors during endurance. Injury to the surface of the mango impairs the quality of the mango fruit which is detected when the fruit is ripe and the fruit is lost. Peeled fruits should be kept in a shady place inside the garden as the heat of the sun damages the life of mangoes. Mango is also a living thing that feels very uncomfortable due to excessive heat. It is imperative to cool it down immediately so that it can be sold at home or abroad. Mango fruit is usually cooled in cold water and the easiest way to do this is to use ice-cooled water. During this process, it is important to take care that the mango fruit is not exposed to ice, otherwise its inner skin may be damaged.
In developed countries, modern machines are used to cool mangoes. If the mango fruit is to be exported, it is necessary to cool it in cold storage. Fungal diseases affect the quality of mango after ripening. The broken mango fruit is dipped in warm water. Determination of water temperature and time of immersion depends on the size and type of mango. The hot water method (HWT) is currently being used by mango exporting countries like Philippines, Brazil etc. for better quality. The hot water method should be used only for those mangoes which are not close to maturity as immature mangoes, if dipped in hot water, may deteriorate in quality after ripening, resulting in poor skin color and taste.
Warm integrated air is used to protect the fruit fly. Temperature and timing are determined by the type and size of the fruit. No such unit is operating on commercial basis in Pakistan while 26 units are operating in mango producing countries. These units are being manufactured in Japan and the United States. Units made in Japan are relatively advanced.
