Effect of Fruit Bagging on Yield and Quality of Mango cv. Nam Dok Mai

Abstract

The effect of fruit bagging  using double layers of carbon paper at different stages of fruit on yield and quality of mango cv. Nam Dok Mai was studied. The experiment with six – year – old trees was conducted at a farmer’s orchard in Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai Province from January to June 2007. Completely randomized design with 4 replications (one plant per replication) was used in this study. The experiment consisted of 3 treatments as follows: fruit was bagged when it was 5, 7, and 9 cm long or at 42, 47 and 50 days after 50% bloom. The results showed that total fruit weight per tree when harvesting at 115 days after 50% bloom was 17.8, 10.3 and 14.5 kg, respectively. The individual fruit weight collected from all trees at maturity ranged from 422 to 460 g. The number of dropped infructescences after bagging per number of bagged infructescences, the number of defected fruits after bagging, fruit size and seed size showed no difference. Internal fruit qualities after ripening such as peel color, fruit firmness with peel and without peel, total soluble solids (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA) were not different either. From the results, it is concluded that farmers can start bagging the fruit when its length is 5 cm or longer without damaging the quantity and quality of the fruit product.