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Sudan Journal of Agricultural Research

Effects of Ethrel and temperature on ripening and fruit quality of introduced banana clones

 Mohamed E. Elkashif¹ and Haroun I. Mahmoud

Abstract:

Experiments were carried out at the National Institute for the Promotion of Horticultural Exports, University of Gezira, Sudan, during the years 1997/1998, to evaluate introduced banana clones with respect to their postharvest behaviour using Ethrel and controlled temperature. The clones included five mutants of Williams Hybrid: WH 172, WH 1280, WH 1281, WH 1223 and WH 1366; and Grandnain clone GN 1824. These clones were compared with the locally grown cultivar Dwarf Cavendish. Fruits were either treated or untreated with Ethrel and kept at either 20 or 32 °C. Treatments were averaged in a completely randomized design. There were no significant differences between clones in the number of days required for ripening when fruits were treated with Ethrel at both temperatures. However, clones differed significantly in the ripening period when fruits were kept at 20 °C without Ethrel treatment, except clone 1223 which recorded a significantly short ripening period and did not need Ethrel for ripening initiation. Banana fruit of  clones GN 1824 and WH 1366 treated with Ethrel and ripened at 20 °C resulted in the best flavour comparable to that of  Dwarf Cavendish, whereas WH 1223 resulted in the worst. Ethrel treatment of fruit ripened at 20 °C resulted in a significant improvement in fruit quality manifested by good colour development, taste, TSS, and flavour.
 

Keywords:

Sudan Journal of Agricultural Research Vol. 5 (2005) PP. 65-72