Fruit Produce Facts English
Mandarin/Tangerine
Recommendations for Maintaining Postharvest Quality
![]() Mary Lu Arpaia1 and Adel A. Kader2 1Dept. of Botany and Plant Sciences, Univ. of California, Riverside 2Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis
Maturity & Quality
Maturity IndicesColor (yellow, orange, and/or red) on 75% of fruit surface and soluble solids/acid ratio of 6.5 or higher. Quality Indices
Temperature & Controlled Atmosphere
Optimum Temperature5-8°C (41-46°F) for 2 to 6 weeks, depending on cultivar, maturity-ripeness stage at harvest, and decay control treatments used. Optimum Relative Humidity90-95% Rates of Respiration
To calculate heat production multiply ml CO2/kg·hr by 440 to get Btu/ton/day or by 122 to get kcal/metric ton/day. Rates of Ethylene ProductionResponses to Ethylene
Responses to Controlled Atmospheres (CA)A combination of 5-10% O2 and 0-5% CO2 can delay color changes from green to yellow and other symptoms of senescence, but it is not very effective in decay control. Mandarins do not tolerate exposure to fungistatic CO2 levels (10-15%). Commercial use of CA is very limited. Temperature & Controlled Atmosphere Photos
Disorders
Physiological and Physical DisordersChilling injury. Symptoms include pitting and brown discoloration followed by increased susceptibility to decay. Severity increases with longer exposures to lower temperature below 5°C (41°F). Oil spotting (Oleocellosis). Harvesting and handling turgid citrus fruits can result in breaking of oil cells and release of oil that damages surrounding tissues. Aging. Symptoms include shriveling and peel injury around the stem end. Pathological DisordersMajor Diseases:
Control StrategiesReduce the pathogen population in the environment:
Maintain Fruit Resistance to Infection
Date
May 1999 |
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How to Cite
Author(s) names. Initial publication or update date (located at the top). Title. Link to the specific Produce Fact Sheet webpage (Accessed date)
Example: Cantwell, M. and T. Suslow. 2002. Lettuce, Crisphead: Recommendations for Maintaining Postharvest Quality.
http://ucanr.edu/sites/Postharvest_Technology_Center_/Commodity_Resources/Fact_Sheets/Datastores/Vegetables_English/?uid=19&ds=799 (Accessed January 18, 2014).