CONDITIONING WITH HOT AIR REDUCES HEAT DAMAGE CAUSED TO KENSINGTON MANGO (MANGIFERA-INDICA LINN) BY HOT-WATER DISINFESTATION TREATMENT

Hot water treatment (HWT) offers a cost-effective method for fruit fly disinfestation but may cause injury to 'Kensington'' mango (Mangifera indica Linn.). Conditioning fruit with hot air before disinfestation may alleviate these injuries. Fruit from 2 major production regions in Queensland were subjected to conditioning treatments with hot air (38 -40 degrees C) for 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16 h before HWT (fruit core temper ature of 45 degrees C held for 30 min). Injuries to fruit not conditio ned before HWT included accentuated lenticel spotting, external and in ternal cavities, and a starchy layer beneath the skin. Fruit condition ed for 8 or 12 h before HWT had minimal injuries. Conditioning with ho t air before HWT has the potential to minimise and/or eliminate heat i njuries associated with hot water disinfestation treatment. Further te sting, particularly on a commercial scale, will be required to optimis e these conditioning treatments for use by the Australian mango indust ry.