Effect of Different Bagging Materials on Fruit Quality of Mango

Abstract

During the fruit development stage, mangoes experience numerous physical and chemical changes and are susceptible to insect pest infestations, various pathogens, bird attacks and mechanical damage. The affected fruits gain low prices in the market and such fruits are also rejected for processing. It causes significant yield and serious economic loss to mango growers. Pre-harvest fruit bagging has emerged as a good agricultural practice (GAP), which is simple, grower-friendly, safe and beneficial for the production of quality fruits. An experiment was conducted at the existing seven-year-old mango orchard of BARI Aam-3, which is locally called ‘Amrapali’ at the hill valley of Hill Agricultural Research Station at Raikhali in Rangamati Hill District during 2020-21. The least number of fruit drop, insect infestation, disease infection, bird attack, maximum individual fruit weight and shelf-life was found in two-layer brown bags. Marketable mango as well as grade-1 mango also maximum in a layer brown bag. On the other hand, a minimum number of marketable mangoes was found in the control treatment but minimum self-life was recorded in polythene bags.