Maturity measurement of Mango and banana as related to ripening

S.Shahir1 and R.Visvanathan2

1 Research scholar, Department of Food and Agricultural Process Engineering

2 Professor and Head, Post Harvest Technology Centre

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India

Abstract

Visual maturity assessment for mango (rise of shoulders in relation to the position of the stem) and banana (three quarter round) were correlated with the objective maturity indices like size, length, volume, etc. The mean size, length, diameter, mass, volume and surface area of the mango fruits obtained were 8.42 cm, 11.06 cm, 8.61cm, 317.5g, 319.9 cm3 and 163.99 cm2 respectively. The average mass, volume, diameter, surface area and pulp to peel ratio of matured banana fingers were found to be 139.92 g, 135.2 cm3, 3.61 cm, 117.26 cm2 and 1.10 respectively.

Keywords:MangoVar. Banganapalli, Maturity indices, physical properties

1. Introduction

Mango (Mangiferaindica L.) is an important tropical fruit having heavy demand in world market. India exports fresh mangoes to more than 50 countries. The most important mango varieties cultivated are Alphonso (Badami), Banganapalli (Baneshan), Bangalora (Totapuri), Dashehari (dasheri), Mallika, and Vanraj(Knight Jr et al., 2009). Most of the Indian varieties possess strong aroma and more intense peel colouration, characterized by attractive fragrance, delicious taste and high nutrition value (Sagar et al., 1999).

The word “banana” is a general term having the genus Musa (Morton, 1987). Banana is chiefly eaten raw as a dessert fruit, because in the ripe stage it is sweet and easily digestible. Banana is a staple food for at least 400 million people in the world(Marin et al., 1996).

Physiological maturity is the stage of development when a plant or plant part will continue ontogeny even if detached. Commercial maturity is the stage of development when a plant or plant part possesses the prerequisites for utilisation by consumers for a particular purpose (Malundo et al., 2001). These indices are important for trade regulation, marketing strategy and to the efficient use of labour and resources. The storage life of the fruit depends on the stage of maturity at which it is harvested. Fruits are generally harvested at physiologically matured stage to get optimum quality. Immature fruits display erratic ripening behaviour, may not develop full flavour and aroma, which ultimately leads to their rejection.

Maturity of the mango fruit has been correlated with size, sphericity, colour and firmness in an attempt to fix it in measurable units. Physical, biochemical and physiological parameters are used to define the maturity stage for harvesting of fruits (Jha et al., 2006).Various instrument based techniques are used to measure maturity and ripeness. Subjective (e.g. colour, taste and flesh texture) and objective (e.g. size, weight) quality tests are used for banana fruit (Reid, 2002). Techniques can be non-destructive or destructive.

Huda (2003) and Robinson and Saúco (2010) described that the banana fruits having the stage of three quarters round was considered as the commercial maturity.Irtwange (2006)considered the parameters such as chronological age (elapsed days from bloom to harvest), size, shape, surface characteristics, colour, firmness, compositional factors (soluble solids), development of abscission layers, surface morphology, solidity, tenderness, sugars, starch, sugar-to-acid ratio and oil content for the determination of maturity indices.

Maturity plays a major role in ripening of fruits. Immature fruits resulted in improper ripening. Hence assessing the optimum matured fruit before ripening is crucial. The objective of this study is to determine the maturity indices of mango var. Banganapalli and banana var.GrandNaine for optimum ripening.

2. Materials and methods

The banana var. Grand Nainefruits were harvested at full three quarter grade by visual judgement, which means they were almost fully grown (Ramma et al., 2001; Robinson and Saúco, 2010) from the Orchard, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. Matured raw mangoes var. Banganapalliwas purchased from local market, Coimbatore. The optimum maturity of mango fruit is determined by visualizing the position of the shoulders in relation to the position of the stem (Medlicott et al., 1988). The fresh fruits were arranged in the plastic crates in such a way that the sap from one fruit does not come into contact with other fruit and carefully transported to the laboratory.The bruised and diseased fruits were sorted out manually and healthy, uniform sized fruits were selected for the study. Ten fruits were taken randomly for this study. Methods employed to determine the maturity of mango and banana were presented below.

Pulp to peel ratio of the banana fruit was determined as per the relationship given in (2.1).Peel and pulp mass were determined using electronic balance with an accuracy of ± 0.01g.The diameter on stem end, blossom end and middle of the finger were measured individually using a digital verniercaliper with a least count of 0.01mm. Average of these three readings was reported as the mean diameter.Individual finger weight was measured using precision electronic balance

……………… 2.1

Fruitvolume was determined by water displacement method (Mohsenin, 1986) in a graduated cylinder. The fruit was gently submerged with the help of a 2 mm diameter glass rod in case, the fruit floated. The water displaced by the fruit was taken as the volume of the fruit. The volume of the fruit thus measured was expressed in cubic meter. For measuring the surface area, the fruit was peeled off and the skin was placed over the graph sheet and its outline was drawn. The summation of the traced areas was taken as the surface area of the fruit.

Mango fruits were taken and weighed in air and then in pure water. The weight in air divided by the weight in water gives the specific gravity (Eq.2.2). As the fruit matures, its specific gravity increases (Abourayya et al., 2011).

Specific gravity = Weight in air ……………. 2.2

Weight in pure water

3. Result and Discussion

3.1. Mango

Fully matured mango fruit has outgrown shoulders and formation of a depression with ridges at the stem end. This visual maturity assessment has been correlated with size, length, diameter, mass, volume, surface area, specific gravity, etc.,and the results are presented in the Table. 1.

Table 1.Maturity indices of raw mangovar.Banganapalli

S.No. / Size
(cm) / Length (cm) / Diameter (cm) / Mass (g) / Volume
(cc) / Surface Area
(cm2) / Specific gravity
1 / 8.56 / 11.13 / 8.73 / 334 / 330 / 175.00 / 1.02
2 / 7.95 / 10.25 / 8.10 / 277 / 275 / 136.98 / 1.01
3 / 8.36 / 11.06 / 8.56 / 311 / 310 / 159.66 / 1.03
4 / 8.35 / 11.23 / 8.55 / 300 / 300 / 152.32 / 1.00
5 / 8.41 / 11.00 / 8.60 / 318 / 325 / 164.33 / 1.02
6 / 8.67 / 11.57 / 8.87 / 331 / 350 / 173.00 / 1.01
7 / 8.49 / 11.39 / 8.70 / 322 / 325 / 166.99 / 1.00
8 / 8.31 / 10.84 / 8.48 / 311 / 312 / 159.66 / 1.01
9 / 8.51 / 11.27 / 8.73 / 336 / 335 / 176.33 / 1.02
10 / 8.62 / 10.85 / 8.77 / 335 / 337 / 175.67 / 1.03
Mean ± / 8.42 / 11.06 / 8.61 / 317.50 / 319.90 / 163.99 / 1.02
*S.E / 0.06 / 0.12 / 0.07 / 5.92 / 6.79 / 3.95 / 0.00
**S.D / 0.20 / 0.37 / 0.21 / 18.72 / 21.48 / 12.49 / 0.01

*S.E – Standard error, **S.D – Standard deviation

Objective maturity indices like size, length, diameter, mass, volume and surface area of the mango fruits were statistically analysed using spreadsheet software and the results were discussed. It was observed from the Table 1 that the mean size, length, diameter, mass, volume and surface area of the mango fruits were 8.42 cm, 11.06 cm, 8.61cm, 317.5g, 319.9 cm3 and 163.99 cm2 respectively. Maximum and minimum values for size, length, diameter, mass, volume and surface area were found to be 8.67 and 7.95 cm; 10.25 and 11.57 cm; 8.1 and 8.87 cm; 277 and 336 g; 275 and 350 cm3; 136.98 and 176.336 cm2; 1 and 1.03; respectively.

Similar results were reported by (Kapse and Katrodia, 1996) for matured Kesar variety of mangoes with fruit length of 16.2 cm, diameter of 7.5 cm, fruit mass of 363.4 g, fruit volume of 375.8 cm3 and fruit surface area of 381.4 cm2.Tandon DK et al. (1988) grouped different stages of maturedmango fruits according to their specific gravity as: optimum matured fruits have specific gravity more than 1.02, 1.0 to 1.01 for just mature fruits and less than 1.0 for immature fruits.

3.2. Banana

The visual observations of full three quarters round or commercial maturity of banana was confirmed by objective methods of maturity measurement such as finger diameter, finger mass, surface area, etc.,and their statistics such as mean, standard error (SE) and standard deviation (SD) are presented in Table.2

Table 2.Maturity indices of raw banana finger cv.Grand Naine

S.No. / Mass (g) / Volume
(cc) / Diameter (cm) / Surface Area
(cm2) / Pulp to peel
ratio
1 / 148.15 / 145 / 3.82 / 126.16 / 1.08
2 / 143.60 / 140 / 3.51 / 119.20 / 1.06
3 / 135.05 / 122 / 3.45 / 106.72 / 1.08
4 / 126.63 / 118 / 3.45 / 102.48 / 1.11
5 / 139.64 / 140 / 3.46 / 121.60 / 1.07
6 / 145.50 / 142 / 4.04 / 124.00 / 1.11
7 / 126.05 / 120 / 3.46 / 99.17 / 1.13
8 / 153.74 / 150 / 3.88 / 133.28 / 1.09
9 / 144.73 / 145 / 3.25 / 127.00 / 1.11
10 / 136.06 / 130 / 3.78 / 113.00 / 1.12
Mean ± / 139.92 ± / 135.20 ± / 3.61 ± / 117.26 ± / 1.10 ±
*S.E / 2.86 / 3.70 / 0.08 / 3.61 / 0.01
**S.D / 9.03 / 11.70 / 0.25 / 11.42 / 0.02

*S.E – Standard error, **S.D – Standard deviation

Maturity indices like mass, volume, diameter, surface area and pulp to peel ratio of the banana fruits were statistically analysed using spreadsheet software and the results were discussed. It was observed from the Table 2 that the average mass, volume, diameter, surface area and pulp to peel ratio of ten banana fingers were 139.92 g, 135.2 cm3, 3.61 cm, 117.26 cm2 and 1.10 respectively. Similar results of matured banana var. ‘Robusta’ were reported by Kudachikar et al. (2007).

Maximum and minimum values for mass, volume, diameter, surface area and pulp to peel ratio were found to be 126.05 and 153.74 g; 118 and 150 cm3; 3.25 and 4.04 cm; 99.17 and 133.28 cm2; 1.06 and 1.13; respectively.

Ramma et al. (2001) revealed that the best maturity index for determining the harvest time of banana var. Dwarf Cavendish as the combination of pulp to peel ratio and finger diameter. The pulp/peel ratio of 1:1 and above corresponding to finger diameter greater or equal to 32 mm is considered to be a very good indicator of banana harvest maturity.

4. Conclusion

The manual judgement or visual assessment of matured mango and banana were correlated with the objective of maturity measurements. The results obtained were in concomitant with the previous work by early researchers andfor maturity assessment.

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