The post-harvest ripening of water stressed banana fruits

SUMMARY

Maintaining banana fruit in a low humidity environment accelerated fruit ripening. This was reflected in an earlier increase in respiration and ethylene production and more advanced peel colour and pulp sugars. At the end of the trial the fruit kept in low humidity were yellow with green tips (stage 5) whereas those kept at high humidity were still green (stage 1-2). Fruit kept at low humidity did not show a large increase in pulp ethylene production compared with the fruits stored at high humidity. This difference occurred despite a large increase in the 1-aminocyclopropane-l-carboxylic acid (ACC) content of both samples, with the low humidity fruit preceding the high by two days. The peel ethylene production of the low humidity stored fruit increased dramatically as the fruit ripened, coinciding with an increase in ACC. The ACC oxidase activity of the peel reflected the ethylene production with a large increase in the low humidity stored fruit and a later, smaller increase in the high humidity stored fruit. The ACC oxidase activity of the pulp of both low and high humidity stored fruit increased gradually during storage. The changes in ethylene production are discussed with reference to banana ripening being regarded as co-ordinated by pulp ethylene production while the peel is passive, depending on pulp ethylene production for degreening.