Determination of Maturity Indices of Three Mango Varieties Produced in Embu County of Kenya
Harvest maturity significantly affects the overall quality and shelf life of fruits such as mangoes. Subjective indices often used by producers are unreliable and cannot be used to accurately predict the right maturity for the target market or use. The objective of this study was to determine maturity indices of ‘Tommy Atkins’, ‘Vandyke’ and ‘Kent’ mango varieties produced in a medium-altitude agro-ecological zone, Embu County of Kenya. Mango trees were tagged at 50% flowering and the number of days to the earliest maturity stage established for each variety as stage 1.