A purpose designed hand-held spectroscope ('Nirvana', Integrated Spectronics) was used to assess mango fruit pigmentation (flesh and skin) and flesh dry matter content. Fruit dry matter content and flesh colour was assessed of fruit on the tree, and used as indices of fruit maturity. Dry matter of fruit at harvest was also closely related to total soluble solids of fully ripe fruit, and thus eating quality. The calibration model was robust across growing regions for dry matter (R > 0.96 with RMSECV < 0.6 % DM), but regional models were required for flesh colour. The units were used to: (i) non-invasively monitor fruit on tree at weekly intervals from stone hardening stage, allowing a gauge of time to harvest; (ii) describe variation in fruit maturity in relation to canopy architecture, and thus inform selective picking procedures; (iii) assess average fruit maturity across blocks, allowing maturity zoning across the production area; (iv) relate dry matter content of hard green fruit to later ripening behaviour and eating quality (Brix and flavour).
Funding
Category 1 - Australian Competitive Grants (this includes ARC, NHMRC)
History
Parent Title
IX International Mango Symposium 2010, Sanya, Hainan Island, China, 8-12 April 2010
Start Page
1
End Page
12
Number of Pages
12
Start Date
2010-01-01
Finish Date
2010-01-01
ISBN-13
9789066054387
Location
Sanya, Hainan Island, China
Publisher
International Society for Horticultural Science
Place of Publication
Belgium
Peer Reviewed
No
Open Access
No
External Author Affiliations
Centre for Plant and Water Science; Institute for Resource Industries and Sustainability (IRIS); Integrated Spectronics, Sydney;