Effect of storage temperatures, O2 concentrations and variety on respiration of mangoes

The respiration rate of fruits and vegetables is an important indicator of senescence and ethylene production in fruits. Storage temperatures play a major role in the respiration rates of fruits and vegetables. Experiments were conducted to establish the influence of storage temperatures, O2 concentrations and variety on the respiration of mangoes. The study was conducted on two varieties of mangoes namely, cvs ‘Banganapalli’ and ‘Thothapuri’. Experiments were conducted on a single fruit, weighing approximately 500 g and kept in separate glass bottles stored at 12, 20, 28, and 40 °C. Respiration rates were calculated and presented as the rate of release of CO2 or the rate of consumption of O2. Respiration rates decreased with a decrease in temperature from 40 °C to 12 °C, and with a decrease in O2 concentration from 21% to 1% in the micro-environment. The respiration rate was faster in ‘Banganapalli’ than in ‘Thothapuri’ as indicated by the CO2 release rate. The rate of CO2 release was very slow in mangoes stored at 12 °C in both the varieties and the rate decreased from 8.60 to 8.00 ml kg–1 h–1 in ‘Banganapalli’ variety and from 11.00 to 7.80 ml kg–1 h–1 in ‘Thothapuri’ variety. The respiration rates were faster at higher temperatures and remained low and stable at low temperatures. Using the respiration data, predictive models were developed for calculating the CO2 release and O2 consumption patterns.