EFFECT OF DIFFERENT WOOD ASH AS SOURCE OF ETHYLENE GAS FOR THE RIPENING AND POST-HARVEST QUALITY OF CARABAO MANGO (Mangifera indica L.)

This study was conducted on July 9-16, 2020 at Mindanao State UniversityGeneral Santos City, College of Agriculture laboratory area. The objectives of this study is to evaluate and identify which wood ash as source of ethylene gas was the most effective in ripening the carabao mango or the Philippine Super Mango and also its effect on palatability after the application of different wood ash. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was used in this experiment with five treatments replicated three times. The treatment used different wood ash as a source of ethylene gas for ripening. Treatments applied were as follows: T1- Control (No application), T2- Coconut wood ash, T3-Gemelina wood ash, T4- Ipil-ipil wood ash and T5Ethephon or ethrel. The result indicates a significant difference is revealed among the different treatment means on the fruit weight loss, days to ripening, visual quality rating (VQR) and taste test rating. But on the brix or total soluble solids (TSS) analysis as affected by different wood ash as source of ethylene gas they are closely comparable to each other. The overall implication of the study revealed that the commercial ripening agent or ethephon locally known as ethrel (T5) was the best ripening agent with the mean value of (5.00) days to ripen the mango fruit. However, ipil-ipil wood ash (T4) was statistically comparable in effect as a ripening agent of carabao mango with a mean value of (5.33) days. In addition it is economical. efficient and indigenous material. Hence, ipil-ipil wood ash can be a good source of ethylene gas and can substitute to the commercial ripening agent which is the ethephon or ethrel as ripening agent of carabao mango.