Effect of different post-harvest practices on the quality of bananas (G9)

Abstract

Artificial fruit ripening agents have become increasingly popular in recent years. During the off-season, various ripening agents are used for the ripening of banana fruits. This experiment was carried out under the study entitled “Effect of different post-harvest practices on quality of banana (G9) in Chitwan” for controlling the ripening of the banana, for improvement of quality attributes and post-harvest life of banana. The experiment was conducted at the laboratory of Horticulture, Agriculture and Forestry University, from 14th June to 16th August 2022. These experiments were laid out in a Completely Randomized Design in which the experiment comprised of five treatments dipping in distilled water, hot water treatment at 55℃ then covered with a jute sack, perforated plastic, ethephon 600 ppm, and, ripening chamber with four replications. Different post-harvest parameters were recorded at the interval of three days. In this experiment, the maximum physiological loss in weight, TSS, the highest color score, pH, TSS/TA, and Pulp peel ratio were observed in bananas sprayed with distilled water. In contrast, the minimum values for TSS, pulp peel ratio, Peel color rating, and TSS/TA were observed in Jute sack-covered fruits. Maximum and minimum shelf life were observed in jute sack-covered fruits and bananas sprayed with ethephon @600 ppm respectively. In summary, the present study showed some innovative post-harvest practices that enhance food security, promote responsible consumption, reduce environmental impact, and align with multiple SDGs, ultimately fostering a more sustainable and food-secure future.