Effect of Coloured Polythene Bags on Fruit Quality of ‘Himsagar’ Mango Grown in New Alluvial Zone of West Bengal

Aims: The study was aimed to investigate the effect coloured polythene bags on fruit quality of ‘Himsagar’ mango grown in New Alluvial Zone of West Bengal, India.

Methodology: Field experiment was conducted at Regional Research Station, New Alluvial Zone, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Gayeshpur, Nadia, West Bengal, India (22°56″ N, 88°31″ E and 9.75 m above mean sea level) during the period from 2017 to 2018. The experiment was laid out in completely randomized block design (RBD) having six distinct bagging treatments (T1- Blue polythene bag, T2- Green polythene bag, T3- Yellow polythene bag, T4-Red polythene bag, T5- White polythene bag, and one control i.e. T6- No bag), replicated four times. Fruit physical parameters, bio-chemical parameters, physiological loss in weight and disease incidence % at different days of storage were analyzed in this experiment.

Results: Experimental findings showed that among different colour of bags, green colour (T2) proved most effective as most physical parameters and bio-chemical constituents of fruit were improved in this treatment. Fruits at 8 days storage at ambient room temperature showed maximum total soluble solids, total sugar and β-carotene content with the application of green colour bag. This treatment also exhibited less physiological loss in weight (PLW) with minimum incidences of post harvest diseases during storage at ambient room temperature.

Conclusion: Findings from this study show that fruit bagging with green polythene bag proved most effective in increasing the fruit weight and bio-chemical constituents of mango with less incidence of diseases that ultimately leading to better consumer acceptance and gives higher return to the growers.