Dealing with Jelly Seed Disorder in Mangifera Indica (Mango cv. ‘Dashehari’) Through Strategic Pre-treatments as Micro-management Modules
摘要
An experiment was conducted to harness the potential of different management modules combined with fruit bagging to rectify the internal defects that arise due to alteration in physiological processes inside the fruits. In this study, six management modules—T1: recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) + mulching + foliar spray of sulphate of potash (SOP) 2 g l−1 at 40 and 60 days after fruit development; T2: RDF + mulching + foliar spray of boron 2 g l‑1 at 40 and 60 days after fruit development; T3: RDF + mulching + foliar spray of 2% CaCl2 dihydrate at 40 and 60 days after fruit development; T4: RDF + mulching + foliar spray of 2 mL l‑1 Cu at 40 and 60 days after fruit development; T5: RDF + mulching + spray of 2% CaNO3 at 40 and 60 days after fruit development; T6: RDF + mulching + spray of 2.0 mM putrescine (PUT) at 40 and 60 days after fruit development—were tested along with T7 (control) as a way to manage the problem of jelly seed (JS) in ‘Dashehari’ mango. The observations from this investigation revealed that bagging with treatment combinations improved the appearance and quality of ‘Dashehari’ mango fruits. The skin luster improved in all cases as the pericarp turned uniformly yellow without any scarring. Further, incidence and JS score were low in the case of T6 (less than 10%), followed by T3 (less than 20%), while high incidence of JS was observed in the case of control fruits (more than 50%). PLW (%) was lower in the case of T3 (8.02%) and T6 (7.84%) compared to control (14.5%) and other treatments. While the TSS (°Brix) was low, acidity and sugar (%) were higher in the case of control (T7) compared to T3 and T6. Starch and protein content was higher in T3 and T6 treated fruits compared to control, suggesting that they might be contributing to the build-up of TSS. Further, at the elemental level, it was observed that the T6 and T3 treatment combinations led to the maintenance of the calcium level, which in turn down-regulates the activity of PME and PG (the key cell wall hydrolyzing enzymes), thereby supporting the maintenance of the cell matrix and fruit firmness. Antioxidant capacity was better in T3 and T6 compared to control, indicating a better ROS scavenging system. Among the best treatment combinations, T6 along with bagging improved mango fruit quality by rectifying the defects of JS in mango, which in turn promises better economic return to growers.