A combined hot water spray and fruit brushing (hot water brushing–HWB) treatment for 15–20 s was developed
for reducing the incidence of postharvest disease caused by Alternaria alternata and improving mango fruit keeping
quality. The efficacy of the hot water treatment was tested over a range of temperatures from 48 to 64°C, in
combination with prochloraz treatment and fruit waxing. Hot water brushing of fruits significantly reduced decay
(infected area) development by A. alternata. But after storage for 3 weeks at 12°C and another week at 20°C, the
reduction of disease incidence by HWB and prochloraz treatment (900 mg ml−1
) was more effective than by HWB
alone. HWB treatment for 15 s improved colour development and was more effective than the common, commercial
5 min dip treatment at 55°C. The combination of fruit HWB and waxing yielded high quality fruits with less decay
development. © 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.