“Eco-friendly” way to determine mango maturity right on the tree

Questions like, “How mature is my crop?” and “When is the optimal time to harvest?” remain at the center of mango grower’s concerns from year to year. The right answers to these questions give mango growers, and packing facilities alike, the ability to exert more control over when their fruit is sent to market and the quality of fruit consumers ultimately enjoy.

Various devices and techniques are currently used to measure fruit maturity over the growing season and on the packing line. However, these methods are often time consuming, labor intensive and accuracy can be questionable. To growers, this means more dollars flowing out and fewer dollars flowing in. Traditional measurement methods require substantial personnel-hours, while destructive testing and sub-optimal harvest timing can lead to significant amounts of waste. To packers and distributors, this means a diminished ability to accurately judge incoming fruit quality, which can lead to yet more waste and losses. Additionally, pre-consumer waste not only produces a financial impact, but also wastes other valuable resources such as land, water, and energy used to produce the fruit.

With a 30-year background in developing plant physiology instrumentation, Felix Instruments saw the state of dry matter measurement as a problem that new near infrared technologies could solve.

In partnership with Professor Kerry Walsh and the agricultural research team at Central Queensland University (Australia), the Felix team has developed the world’s first mango-specific near-infrared meter that measures mango dry matter and Brix. The tool is held and operated with one hand, making it easily portable for field or packing house use and measures fruit non-destructively, in matter of seconds, even while the fruit still hangs on the tree.

Recently at PMA Fresh Summit 2019 in Anaheim, California, USA, Fructidor met with Ms. Suzy Truitt, product expert and Distributor Sales Manager for the Felix Instruments brand. While providing a demonstration of the Mango Quality Meter, Ms. Truitt explained: “The Mango Quality Meter is smart and easy to use, it applies state-of-the-art NIR (near infrared) technology to precisely and non-destructively measure dry matter and Brix, the mango’s key quality, maturity, and ripeness indicators. This enables growers to accurately predict their crop harvest dates, removes guesswork and minimizes spoilage.” She also commented, “Launched in 2013, the first NIR Quality Meters were sent to mango growers in Australia and are still in use today”.

The Mango Quality Meter is adapted to multiple mango varieties, namely: Tommy K, Ataulfo (also known as Champagne, Honey or Adolfo), Kent, Calypso, Keitt, and Honey Gold.

Felix Instruments has since developed additional commodity specific quality meters which are available from the company's website and can be supplied either directly or through one of their dedicated distributors, depending on location.

To learn more about how the Mango Quality Meter can cut your costs, reduce spoilage and increase harvest revenues, contact the Felix Instruments team – www.felixinstruments.com.


Contact:
Felix Instruments
Scott Trimble
Tel: +1 (360) 833-8835
strimble@felixinstruments.com
www.felixinstruments.com