title: Studies on optimization of ripening techniques for banana.
abstract: Fruits of banana (Musa spp) cultivar 'Grand Naine' were harvested at physiological green mature stage. The first lot of fruit was exposed to ethylene gas (100 ppm) for 24 h in ripening chamber. The second lot was treated with different concentrations of aqueous solution of ethephon (250, 500, 750, 1000 ppm) each for 5 min. The fruits were packed in plastic crates and stored in ripening chamber maintained at 16-18°C and 90-95% RH. Treatment with ethylene gas (100 ppm) or ethephon (500 ppm) resulted in adequate ripening of fruits after 4 days with uniform colour, pleasant flavour, desirable firmness and acceptable quality and better shelf-life. The untreated control fruits were hard textured and poor in colour and quality. The ripening with ethylene gas or ethephon treatment seems to hold promise in reducing postharvest losses and boosting the economy of banana growers and traders.
authors.affiliation: Punjab Horticultural Post-harvest Technology Centre, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 141 004 India.
authors.forename: B V C
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Mahajan
authors.forename: Tajender
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: M I S
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Dhaliwal
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Ghuman
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Chahil
keywords: Banana; Ethephon; Ethylene gas; Quality; Ripening