EFFECT OF HOT AIR DISINFESTATION TREATMENT IN COMBINATION WITH SIMULATED AIR FREIGHT CONDITIONS ON QUALITY OF KENSINGTON MANGO (MANGIFERA-INDICA LINN)

The quality of 'Kensington' mangoes (Mangifera indica Linn.) from 2 ma jor Queensland production regions was evaluated following a hot air [H AT, also known as vapour heat (VHT)] disinfestation treatment (46.5 de grees C seed surface temperature held for 10 min under conditions of h igh humidity) combined with a disease control treatment (55 degrees C water for 5 min) prior to HAT, and storage conditions likely to be enc ountered during air shipment to Japan (either 10 degrees C for 5 days plus 22 degrees C for 5 days, or 13 degrees C for 5 days plus 22 degre es C for 5 days, or 22 degrees C for 10 days). Final quality was optim um if fruit were treated with HAT alone and stored at 22 degrees C. Fr uit injury, in the form of skin browning and lenticel spotting, was pa rticularly severe in HAT plus disease control fruit stored at 10/22 de grees C. Storage at 10 degrees C combined with heat treatments may be too stressful to fruit physiology, leading to fruit injury and reduced fruit quality at the market destination.