Short mango fruit shelf-life can disappoint consumers, damage reputations, and reduce repeat purchasing. The inherent quality of fresh produce at harvest, including for mangoes, is a function of genotype (G), environment (E), and management (M) on farm. From harvest onwards, temperature management in mango supply chains is pivotal to maintaining fruit quality from farm to consumer.

In a logistical context, a First Expired First Out (FEFO) approach is an ideal alternative to a First In First Out (FIFO) approach. With FEFO, fresh produce with the shortest Remaining Shelf-Life (RSL) potential is sold first. By contrast for FIFO, the first consignment received is sold first.

Since fruit quality potential to consumers is set at harvest by the G x E x M interaction, FEFO can work to ensure that the highest quality offering is made to consumers. After harvest and for FEFO, temperature monitoring and management technologies, including data collection in real-time, can be deployed to inform and manage mango handling.

Preliminary models to predict RSL of fresh mango fruit were developed as Decision Aid Tools (DATs) to help supply chain stakeholders take logistics and marketing decisions. In an ‘agile’ supply chain management context, knowing RSL allows producers and supply chain stakeholders to undertake interventions like rapid marketing and price mark down over and above redirecting the product to less quality sensitive markets should they exist. For several mango cultivars, RSL models were developed and tested (Fig 1 - below).

For model development, laboratory simulation trials reflecting export by air and sea shipment conditions were conducted. Temperature x time scenarios were compared to generate data sets for cultivars across harvest times and plus-minus phytosanitary treatment.

The derived models were validated with data from repeat trials. Actual export and domestic shipments were monitored to verify the models. Temperature data loggers were included in the real-world shipments and fruit outturn quality was assessed upon arrival.

To demonstrate the commercial practicability of RSL DATs, a dashboard and mobile applications for Android and IOS systems were developed. These allow users to track shipments and receive RSL update predictions as fruit moves through their supply chains (Fig 2 below).

Overall, extensive work established that:

·      Individual cultivar-specific models were required for each of ‘R2E2’, ‘KP’, ‘Honey Gold’, and ‘Calypso

·      With both ‘R2E2’ and ‘KP’, early harvest ‘select pick’ fruit had greater shelf life potential than did late harvest ‘strip-pick’ fruit

·      Inclusion of Dry Matter (DM) as a co-determinant parameter in the model for ’R2E2’ did not improve RSL prediction

·      Phytosanitary Vapour Heat Treatment (VHT) of ‘R2E2’ applied for insect control reduced shelf life by about two days

·      Preliminary RSL modelling with avocado, banana, and lettuce also yielded encouraging results.

In general, RSL prediction models developed for use in conjunction with real-time monitoring in user friendly DATs showed potential to empower supply chain stakeholder decision making towards maintaining consumer satisfaction.

The Supply Chain Innovation team will continue the work to improve the accuracy and reliability of the models, including to include key pre- and at-harvest indices of inherent fruit robustness.

The Serviced Supply Chains project was funded by the Hort Frontiers Asian Markets Fund (project AM15002), part of the Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative developed by Hort Innovation, with co-investment from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland (DAF), the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport & Resources (Victoria), Manbulloo (mango), Montague Fresh (summerfruit), Glen Grove (citrus), and the Australian Government with in-kind support from The University of Queensland and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

*Provided by Yiru Chen, Neil White, and Daryl Joyce - researchers at Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland. Corresponding author: daryl.joyce@daf.qld.gov.au