YMC Nisansala1, LKRR Jayakody2*, HA Sarananda3 and S Somaratne2
1Kalutara Study Centre, The Open University of Sri Lanka, Nagoda Road, Kalutara
2Department of Botany, The Open University of Sri Lanka, Nawala, Nugegoda
3Food Research Unit, Gannoruwa, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Abstrsact
Mango (Variety “TomEJC”) has the highest potential in the export market due to its quality characteristics: excellent flavor, low fiber content and smooth flesh. However, the variety takes two weeks to ripen to table-ripe stage, after harvest. Due to this slow ripening nature of the variety, development of anthracnose has a high potential which leads to rejection by consumers. This disease can be effectively controlled with chemical treatments or fungicides, which may render the treated fruits less safe for consumption. This research was carried out to find out the effect of pre-harvest KCl application on the control of anthracnose development of ripe fruits. Three KCl concentrations, 1 g l-1, 2 g l-1 and 4 g l-1 were sprayed separately once on to fruits at immature (one-month after fruit set) at pre-harvest stage. Fruits harvested at the correct maturity were inoculated with Colletotrichum gloeosporioides spore suspension and allowed for natural ripening in a humid chamber. Incidence and severity of anthracnose disease was significantly lower on mangoes treated with 2 g l,-1 KCl compared to other treatments and untreated control. Fruit length, fruit width, fruit volume and peel color did not affect by the treatments. Therefore 2 g l-1 KCl could be recommended as a pre-harvest application to mango fruits to minimize post-harvest incidences of anthracnose.
Key words: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, anthracnose lesions, post-harvest losses, disease severity, disease incidence, potassium chloride
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