Abstract

OSUNA-GARCIA, J. A.; VAZQUEZ-VALDIVIA, V.  and  PEREZ-BARRAZA, M. H.. Postharvest characterization of banana cultivars for fresh consumption. Rev. Chapingo Ser.Hortic [online]. 2008, vol.14, n.2, pp.139-145. ISSN 2007-4034.

The postharvest characteristics and fruit quality of four banana cultivars for fresh consumption grown without black sigatoka chemical control and without ethylene application were evaluated. The banana cultivars were Grande Naine (AAA) and Williams (AAA), both susceptible to black sigatoka, as well as FHIA-23 (AAAA) and FHIA-17 (AAAA), both tolerant to such disease, which were grown at Nayarit, Mexico under irrigated conditions. All the bunch and fruit characteristics were recorded ay harvest. Immediately afterwards fruits were submitted to 100 µl·litro^-1 ethylene for 16 h, keeping a control without any application. Then, fruit quality characteristics were recorded during the ripening process under market conditions simulation (22 ± 2 °C y 75 ± 10% RH). Peel color, pulp firmness, total soluble solids, titratable acidity and starch content were assessed every three days. It was found that Williams and FHIA-23 yielded significantly heavier bunches than Grande Naine, however, Williams was more similar to Grande Naine in bunch and fruit characteristics while FHIA-23 showed the best postharvest quality. In addition, it was observed that Williams was the only cultivar which ripened adequately without exogenous ethylene while Grande Naine, FHIA-23 and FHIA-17 required it for optimum ripening. Finally, it was observed that the exogenous ethylene application accelerated in excess the Williams and FHIA-17 ripening process, originating a very short shelf life.

Keywords : Musa sp.; Grande Naine; Williams; FHIA-23; FHIA-17; ethylene.

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