SAPBURN CONTROL BY THE APPLICATION OF DIFFERENT CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS IN MEXICAN MANGO FRUIT WITH EXPORTATION QUALITY

During 1997 and 1998 harvesting periods, sapburn caused losses of up to 9.9% of the annual Mexican mango production destined for exportation. Our objective was to investigate whether some chemical compounds could reduce the incidence of sapburn. Efficiency of solutions of lauryl sulfate sodium (LS), Tween 80, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), mixtures of LS with CMC and Tween 80 with CMC were evaluated in mango fruits of Haden and Tommy Atkins cultivars. Treatments efficacy was determined by measuring sapburn areas of mangoes skin, which were classified in categories, and calculating the damage index by statistic analyses. Quality parameters and organoleptic characteristics were also determined. The treatments with CMC, lauryl-CMC and tween 80-CMC proved to be most effective in reducing sapburn. Chemical and organoleptic quality of fruits were not altered due to the chemical products used.