Mango Postharvest Practices Research
The Postharvest Practices Research program will generate new knowledge to minimize postharvest losses through the mango supply chain in the U.S. It includes the following projects:
MANGO IRRIGATION
- Evaluate the impact of different water quantities at different phenological stages to maximize yield, reduce alternate bearing, and increase water efficacy
PARTHENOCARPIC FRUIT
- Increase productivity and quality of Ataulfo mangos, through the study and validation of techniques related to plant growth regulators on flowering, fruit set, and fruit development in Nayarit, Chiapas, and Guerrero
- Develop and validate a mathematical model under different environmental conditions in order to identify strategies to face future climate variability
STRATEGIES TO PREVENT IRREGULAR FLOWERING
- Increase the productivity and quality of mango for exportation using an integrated management of pruning, nutrition and the use of growth regulators that are friendly to the environment and to human health
MANGO FRESH-CUT PROGRAM
- Provide technical assistance to fresh-cut industry to improve fresh-cut quality
- Determine the impact of a fresh-cut mango program on mango consumption and assess the technical feasibility of implementing the program
Monitoring & Evaluation of Mango quality
- Monitor and evaluate the quality of mangos at the retail level to identify the key disorder present in the market place (Phase 1)
- Identify where problems are occurring and to determine practices responsible for the loss of quality
- Identify areas that need improvement and the best management practices that deliver consistently good fruit quality
- Make recommendations for Best Management Practices or needed research to improve mango quality
Nutrition & mango fertilization Lit. Rev.
- Conduct a review of available printed and electronic sources of information about mango fertilization and nutrition and their effect on quality and production
- Interview the main researchers and consultants of the world that are working on the influence of mango fertilization & nutrition in quantitative and qualitative aspects of mango quality & production.
- Identify future research needs and cooperative projects on mango nutrition & fertilization
Anthracnosis Biopesticides - Phase II
- Select of the best treatments based on their biological effectiveness and easy acquisition of its ingredients and test them in the main varieties of mangos marketed in U.S.
- Determine the minimum dose of biological effectiveness and measure its effect on the quality of mangos (Effect on maturity, color, firmness, degrees brix, flavor and weight loss)
New Mango Cultivar Postharvest Education - Phase II
- Determine the consumer acceptance of selected mango cultivars (19-21)
- The main objective is to identify what mango varieties consumers prefer
- The preferences will be classified by ethnicity, gender, age, and mango consumption frequency
- Determine postharvest handling and quarantine treatment tolerance of potential fresh and fresh-cut on selected commercial cultivars
- The top-ranked mango cultivars would be harvested and evaluated for:
- Reaction to quarantine treatments
- Common postharvest storage temperatures and conditions
- Fruit quality (e.g., color, °Brix, acid content, pulp fiber content, flavor, etc.)
after ripening at room temperature for fresh and fresh-cut)
NSURE MANGO TEST
- Identify the set of genes involved in flowering
- Develop a molecular test that will monitor the physiological status of mango buds or leaves to determine the optimal moment of application of compounds that stimulate flowering
- Create an index that reflects the physiological status of the mango orchard.
Literature Review on Biological Pest Control
- Conduct a literature review to collect all the information available on biological pests control on mangos such as insects, mites, weeds and plant diseases and homeopathy
- Identify areas or specific subjects of research
RIPE/READY TO EAT MANGOS
- Determine the impact of a mango ripening program on mango consumption and to assess the technical feasibility of implementing the program
- Quantify the impact of a mango ripening program on mango sales and volume at the importer and retail level
- Sponsor UC-Davis ripeness course
- Conduct webinars to disseminate the ripening and mango handling information
- Assess the technical feasibility of implementing a mango ripening program considering:
- Identify retailers and importers that are willing to participate in the ripening program
- Audit and evaluate the ripening room installations
- Evaluate and validate the ripening protocol at different times of the mango season by variety and country
- Assess all the technical factors that can affect the success of the mango ripening program
- Download previous studies here.
