Mango (Mangifera indica L.) cv. Carabao. This export cultivar, known for its superior taste and quality, has limited marketability and shelflife due to its perishability and susceptibility to postharvest diseases. A study conducted by Montecalvo et al. (2023) explored the disease-reducing effect of generally regarded as safe (GRAS) compounds like calcium salts against stem end rot and anthracnose diseases. Results showed that calcium chloride and calcium carbonate have antifungal activity against the fungal pathogens inciting these diseases. Their control efficacy was comparable with the standard postharvest hot water treatment (HWT) but HWT was more effective in reducing anthracnose disease. Validation studies could indicate their potential benefit as postharvest treatments.
{Photograph courtesy of Ms. Melissa P. Montecalvo, College of Agriculture and Food Science, University of the Philippines Los Banos}
