Postharvest Effects of Temperature and Food Wrap on Three Banana Varieties (Musa sp.)

The objective of this study was to determine optimal factors for conservating banana fruit postharvest. Bananas are agricultural products being susceptible to quality changes after harvesting. The experiment was conducted to determine factors affecting storage condition and the ripening process leading to changes in post-harvest quality of 3 popular banana varieties grown in Vietnam within 20 days after harvest. Experimental results showed a statistically significant difference between the three banana varieties: (1) evaluating the influence of temperature and wrapping on the increase or decrease in reducing sugar and soluble solids content of the banana varieties. During storage, fruit samples stored at room temperature rapidly increased the reducing sugar content and soluble solids compared to the original sample after only 2 days of storage; (2) sample volume gradually decreased over storage period. Unwrapped samples at room temperature had a larger mass loss than unwrapped samples at cool temperature; samples using cool temperature wrapping had the least mass loss, only about 3% of the initial mass. The loss of volume and quality of bananas after harvest for many reasons affect farmers' income. At the same period, the results of this project can contribute to limiting post-harvest damage of bananas and prolonging ripening period as well as ensuring the nutritional value and quality of the fruit during storage.