Banana degreening is affected by temperature and variety, but not ethylene concentration

Brazil is one of the largest banana producers and despite overall adequate climatic conditions to produce good quality fruit, postharvest handling procedures still are inappropriate. Only a few growers have degreening facilities at their groves. Mostly, bananas are prepared for the market by distributors. Two banana cultivars: Grande Naine (group AAA) and Prata An? (AAB) were harvested from commercial groves and immediately submitted to degreening procedures in which three temperatures and four ethylene concentrations were evaluated. Bananas were degreened at 24 hour intervals at 13, 17 and 21 ?C with a commercial ethylene source (Banasil?) from which 12.5, 25, 50, and 100mL were placed in an ethylene generator. During the degreening process, ethylene concentrations in the degreening room were monitored for periods up to 6 hours. At the beginning of the degreening process and after three and five more days, epidermal color and pulp firmness were determined. Ethylene concentrations did not influence color changes and ripening processes of both cultivars. A maximum ethylene concentration (1,350 ?L L-1?) was determined in the degreening room when 100 mL of Banasil? was used at 21?C. Even with the lowest Banasil? amount, a 90 ?L L-1? ethylene peak was determined in the degreening room, enough to ripen adequately both cultivars. Degreening at 13 ?C delayed for two days the ripening of ?Grande Naine? bananas. ?Grande Naine? reached the fully ripe stage in four days while ?Prata An? completed ripening after three days. ?Prata An? bananas are more responsive to ethylene degreening than ?Grande Naine? bananas. Figure is Fig. 3 from the origina paper - Delta E values determined two days after finalizing degreening of winter season cv. Prata An? bananas (harvested in November) and submitted to different doses of an ethyl concentrate at three degreening temperatures (12 - 14 ?C, 16 - 18 ?C or 20 - 22 ?C). SourceEthylene concentrations and temperatures on degreening of bananas from a subtropical areaEfeitos de concentra??es de etileno e temperaturas na climatiza??o de bananas de regi?es subtropicaisBruno Kreusburg Paulo, Gustavo Klamer de Almeida & Renar Jo?o BenderCrop Production, Cienc. Rural 53 (1) ? 2023 ? https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-8478cr20210381 https://www.scielo.br/j/cr/a/5539tVWjjPt4ZzRMCtTLjdP/?lang=en#