Effect of ethylene on ripening behaviour and quality attributes of banana (Musa AAA) Cv. Grand Naine

Abstract

Ethylene is widely used to regulate ripening in climacteric fruits; however, optimization of its concentration and application frequency is essential to achieve uniform ripening and desirable fruit quality. The present investigation studied the effect of different ethylene concentrations (50, 75, 100 and 125 ppm) and pulsing intervals on ripening behaviour and biochemical quality attributes of banana (Musa AAA) cv. Grand Naine under ambient storage conditions. Total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity, reducing sugars and total sugars increased significantly with the advancement of ripening. Fruits treated with 100 ppm ethylene exhibited higher TSS and sugar content compared to lower concentrations, while excessive ethylene accelerated senescence. Among pulsing treatments, four pulsings at 6 h intervals resulted in superior quality attributes and uniform ripening. The study demonstrates that optimised ethylene application can enhance postharvest quality and market acceptability of the banana cv. Grand Naine.