Pre-harvest bagging: Optimizing physical and quality attributes of banganapalli mango (Mangifera indica L)

This study evaluates the effectiveness of various pre-harvest fruit baggingmaterials on the quality and development of the Banganapalli mango cultivar.The bagging materials tested included red/black double-layered bags,brown/black double-layered bags, single-layered brown paper bags, singlelayeredwhite paper bags, butter paper bags, agro-plastic sleeve bags, and acontrol (no bagging). Bagging treatments were applied 45 days after thefruit set. The results demonstrated that fruits bagged in brown/black double-layered bags significantly improved fruit retention (78.24%) and fruitweight (641.8 g), along with enhancements in fruit peel color, firmness, andkey quality attributes such as total soluble solids (17.72°Brix), TSS: acid ratio(60.17), ascorbic acid content (54.37 mg/100g), and beta-carotene content(12,687.25 ?g/100g of pulp). The shelf life of these fruits extended to16 days, with a notable reduction in fruit fly infestation and disease incidence(4.89%). Additionally, enzymatic activities such as catalase (14.9%),peroxidase (10.7%), and ?-glucosidase (4.92%) were increased. These findingssuggest that pre-harvest bagging is highly effective in enhancing fruitquality and resistance to biotic stresses, offering mango farmers a valuablestrategy to produce superior-quality fruit and achieve higher returns in bothdomestic and international markets.