NAME: MUGHI IRENE MUKAI REG NO: A22/0019/2009 SPECIAL PROJECT PROPOSAL. PROJECT TITLE: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FRUIT SIZE AND AGE ON THE MATURITY INDEX OF MANGO.( Maginfera indica.) Cv Apple and Ngowe. PROJECT SUPERVISOR: Prof. KIMANI WAITHAKA.

INTRODUCTION. Mango is one of the most important fruit crops in the tropical and subtropical lowlands. It is native to India, it is best adapted to a warm tropical monsoon climate with a pronounced dry season (>3 months) followed by rains.

I NTRODUCTION CNTD.. The mango industry in Kenya has expanded considerably over recent years from the Coast Province, now in the Eastern and Central provinces, among other regions. Two types of mango are grown in Kenya, the local and the improved varieties. The latter are usually grafted on local mangoes and are grown for the export market. Most local varieties tend to have high fiber content, commonly referred to as “stringy”, and this characteristic makes them unpopular for fresh consumption.

O BJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Broad objective. To study and establish the relationship between size and age on the maturity index of mangoes.

S PECIFIC OBJECTIVES To determine the rate of mango ripening in comparison to fruit sizes. To determine how the age of fruit affects the rate of mango ripening. To determine any varietal differences in ripening as determined by size and age of the fruits.

P ROBLEM S TATEMENT. Maturity of mangoes can be assessed by their final shape and size at the time of harvest. Size is generally of limited value as a maturity index in fruit it is often specified as a quality standard, with large size generally indicating commercial over- maturity and under-sized produce indicating an immature state. The assumption, however, is not always a reliable guide for all-purpose.

P ROJECT J USTIFICATION. Depending on cultivars and environmental conditions it takes 90 to 160 days after flowering for Kenya mangos to reach maturity. Not all fruits on one tree will ripen at the same time. A great problem is to determine precisely the stage at which the fruit is ripe for picking. Many farmers tend to pick the big fruits assuming that they are the mature ones due to their big size although this is not necessarily the case. This project is aimed to determine whether the fruit size and age are the key determiners of the maturity of mango fruits.

MATERIALS. Fruit materials Weighing machine Penetrometer Digital camera.

METHODOLOGY. Fruits were collected from a farmer in Kyuso District of Kitui County. These were transported within 24 hours to the CAVS- Kabete in the Micro Biology laboratory where they were stored at a room temperature of 24 degrees Celsius. The fruits collected were of different age consisting of the primary fruit of large size and a secondary fruit of medium size. The fruits collected were also with different number of days on the tree. The first was done after 14 weeks of fruit set, followed by a second picking at 16 weeks and lastly after 20 weeks.

M ETHODOLOGY CNTD ; After picking, the fresh weight of the fruits was measured and also penetration using a penetrometer to determine the indention of the fruit. Continuous data on the same was collected and photographs were taken to portray the color change.

WORKPLAN.

R EFERENCES. FAO – value chain analysis. A case study of mangoes in Kenya FAO (2008). Food and Agricultural Organization of United Nations. Economic and Social Department: The Statistical Division. Rome Mango farming handbook- KENGAP horticulture LTD. Mango growing in Kenya- Jurgen Griesbach. McGovern, T.W. and LaWarre, S. (2001). "Botanical briefs: the mango tree—Mangifera indica L.". Cutis 67 (5): 30. Quality criteria for mango export in Ghana by Moomin Abu. PhD, October 2010.

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