Fruit Bagging in Mango: A Smart Pre-harvest Technology for Premium Quality Fruits

Abstract

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is one of the most commercially important fruit crops, but its marketability is often reduced by insect pests, diseases, sunburn, dust deposition, mechanical injuries, and pesticide residues. Pre-harvest fruit bagging has emerged as an effective, eco-friendly technology to improve fruit quality while minimizing chemical pesticide use. The technique involves enclosing developing fruits in specially designed paper or fabric bags to create a protective microenvironment that regulates temperature, humidity, and light intensity. Fruit bagging protects mangoes from fruit fly infestation, anthracnose, stem-end rot, bird damage, and sunburn, resulting in cleaner, blemish-free fruits with enhanced size, weight, firmness, color, and shelf life. Studies have demonstrated that reddish-brown paper bags and double-layer brown paper bags, when applied approximately three months after fruit set, produce superior fruit quality and greater market acceptance. Besides improving food safety by reducing pesticide residues, fruit bagging increases export potential and economic returns through premium-quality produce. As an integral component of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Integrated Pest Management (IPM), and residue-free production systems, fruit bagging offers a sustainable approach for enhancing mango productivity, profitability, and competitiveness in domestic and international markets.