Effect of regulated deficit irrigation and partial root zone drying regimes on the shelf life of mango (Mangifera indica L.) cultivar Dashehari

Abstract: A two-year study was undertaken in the Division of Fruit Science, SKUAST-J, to examine the effect of differential irrigation regimes as pre-harvest treatments (regulated deficit irrigation and partial root-zone drying) on the shelf life of mango grown in open field conditions. Maximum physiological weight loss (21.06% and 21.10%) and decay loss (51.00% and 52.20%) was recorded under treatment T₁₀ (no irrigation) whereas, minimum was recorded in treatment T₉. The fruit moisture was recorded maximum in T₇ (77.46 % and 77.72 %) whereas T₁₀ recorded minimum (70.55% and 70.83%) fruit moisture during 2017 and 2018, respectively. Both years recorded maximum fruit firmness in T9 (21.62 and 22.47 lb/in2) and minimum in T10 (14.61 and 15.46 lb/in2). On a mean value basis maximum fruit moisture content and fruit firmness was recorded on 0 day of storage which decreased significantly and continuously upto 10^th the day of storage. In contrast, minimum PLW content was recorded on 2^nd day of storage which increased significantly and constantly up to 10^th the day of storage and minimum decay loss content was recorded on 6^th day of storage which increased significantly and continuously upto 10^th the day of storage during 2017 and 2018, respectively.