Impact of factors contributing to internal disorders of mango (Mangifera indica L.) fruit—A systematic literature review

Abstract

The expression of internal disorders is a complex phenomenon due to the interaction of genotype, environment, and management practices at the pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest stages. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of factors associated with, and have been investigated in relation to, the susceptibility and expression of internal disorders in mango. In this context, a systematic literature review was conducted to identify, extract, and analyse the most pertinent data. Six hundred and fifty-seven studies were sourced from three databases. Of these, 72 were relevant after screening based on exclusion-inclusion criteria. An additional nine relevant studies were identified through manual searches and included in the final data synthesis. From the 81 studies, the prevalent disorders were spongy tissue and jelly seed, followed by flesh browning and soft nose. ‘Alphonso’ expressed only spongy tissue disorder. By contrast, ‘Tommy Atkins’ simultaneously expressed multiple disorders, viz., soft nose, jelly seed, and stem-end cavity. Mineral composition of flesh and exposure to heat post-harvest (viz., sunlight, phytosanitary heat treatment, and elevated storage temperature) were prominent in association with IDs expression. Relatively high N, N/Ca, Mg/Ca, and K/Ca ratios and relatively low Ca and B were related to most disorders. With K and Mg, studies inconsistently suggested positive and inverse relationship with a particular disorder. While individual studies suggest casual relationships, there was a relative dearth of pre-harvest work on soil characteristics, growing conditions (e.g., temperature, rain, and VPD), crop physiology (e.g., age and biennial bearing) and management practices (e.g., fertilisation and irrigation) in the literature. This review provides a benchmark against which future research might adopt holistic approaches to contiguously ascertain predisposition of mango fruit to internal disorders across the pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest continuum.