Study of a postharvest disease and disorders adversely affecting the export potential of mango var. TomEJC and their management
NRC Grant No: NRC PPP 17-01
Research Institute:
Amount Funded:
Date of Awarded: 2017
End Date:
Summary
The proposed project will investigate a fungal disease, stem-end browning (SEB) and two disorders, Internal Pulp Browning (IPB) and Lenticel Darkening (LD) in harvested mango, Mangifera indica var. TomEJC, during ripening. The objective of the investigation is to finally develop appropriate management practices. This variety is grown by the Ellawala Horticulture (Pvt.) Ltd, the Industrial Partner of the proposal, in a 140-acre plantation in the dry zone and a high percentage of harvest is exported to several countries in the Europe, Middle-East and Asia. There are other plantations of this variety and also small scale growers in the dry and arid zone which supply fruits for exportation by the Ellawala Horticulture (Pvt.) Ltd. Cultivation of the variety is now expanded to five more, 200- acre and thirty, fifty-acre plantations in the dry zone. These would be commencing production within a few more years’. In addition, 1000 more small scale farmers in the dry and Southern arid zone would also contribute with their produce, expecting a dramatic increase in mango var. TomEJC production and exportation in the near future. A small percentage of fruits is also marketed in some local super markets. Harvested mango fruits are generally affected by numerous diseases and disorders and for most of which, control measures are available. The Stem-end Browning disease and Internal Pulp Browning a disorder that are proposed to be studied here are new and not known before. Any information regarding their cause/s or management are not available. Lenticel Darkening is a known disorder that has been investigated with respect to a few varieties marketed internationally, particularly in Australia. However, this order has not been studied in any of the mango varieties or under the conditions that prevail in Sri Lanka. The study proposed here will investigate the postharvest disease and the two disorders in detail to FORM – A understand their possible cause/s, mechanism of symptom development and pre- and postharvest factors affecting their incidence and severity. In SEB, the fungi associated with the disease, their identity, the source and the mode of infection, exact time of initial infection and weather factors that influence etc. will also be investigated These information will enable us to develop appropriate and sustainable management strategies for each of the three conditions. The conditions stated above reduce the quality of harvested fruits, adversely affecting their export potential and marketability. More recently, the SEB disease and the IPB disorder had incurred up to 20 and 10% losses of fruits respectively which could otherwise have exported. The proposed research is therefore relevant to national and economic development of the country. If the investigations are concluded successfully, follow up action would be required in the implementation stage and also monitor their progress and improvements subsequently and take appropriate action. The findings of the project will be implemented by the Industrial partner.
Objectives
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Major Equipment Facilitated by Grant
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