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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp2 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Elucidating the efficacy of hot water treatment on managing anthracnose and stem-end rot diseases of mango cv. ‘Ambika’

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.13802
Submitted
23 January 2026
Published
05-05-2026

Abstract

‘Ambika’ is a coloured mango variety with high export potential; however, it suffers substantial postharvest losses due to decay, primarily caused by anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz. & Sacc.) and stem-end rot (Lasiodiplodia theobromae (Pat.) Griff. & Maubl.). Being a late-maturing cultivar harvested during the rainy season, infections often originate in the field and progress during postharvest handling, thereby reducing fruit quality, shelf life and marketability. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of different hot-water treatment (HWT) combinations in controlling decay and maintaining quality in mango cv. ‘Ambika’. Naturally infected fruits were subjected to hot water treatments at 48 °C for 60 min and 52 °C for 10 min, dips in 5 % salt solution, plain water and an untreated control. After treatment, fruits were air-dried, packed in corrugated fibre board boxes (CFB) with or without ethylene ripening sachets and stored at ambient conditions. The lowest incidence of anthracnose (1.8 %) and stem-end rot (18.2 %) after 9 days of storage was recorded in fruits treated at       52 °C for 10 min. This treatment also maintained higher fruit firmness (> 1.0 kg cm-2) and total soluble solids (TSS) (> 20 °Brix). In contrast, fruits treated at 48 °C for 60 min exhibited superior biochemical quality, including higher total phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, antioxidant activity and improved skin colour development (higher a* and b* values). Overall, hot water treatment at either 48 °C for 60 min or 52 °C for 10 min is recommended as an effective postharvest practice to reduce anthracnose and stem-end rot diseases and enhance the quality of mango cv. ‘Ambika’ during storage.

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