Author: Pravin L. Deshmukh
1. Mango
i) Spongy tissue
Causes
A non edible sour patch developed in the mesocarp of mango fruit is broadly termed spongy tissue. The malady has been reported only in Alphonso. The peculiarity of this malady is that external symptoms of the fruit affected by spongy tissue are not apparent at the time of picking or at the ripe stage. These can be detected only on cutting the ripe fruit. This malady renders the fruit unfit for human consumption. It is a physiological disorder in which fruit pulp remains unripe because of unhydrolyzed starch due to physiological and biochemical disturbances caused by heat convection in mature fruit at pre-and post-harvest stages.
Remedies
- Single and double preharvest dip of fruits in calcium solution significantly increased the calcium content in the ripe fruits.
- The pre harvest dip significantly reduced the occurrence of spongy tissue in the ripe ‘Alphonso’ fruits.
- The use of wind-breaks for protecting the orchard from warm air during May, and use of proper precautions at post-harvest stage checks the disorder.
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About Author / Additional Info:
Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Horticulture, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, Maharashtra-444104.