Effect of postharvest application of calcium chloride on ripening, shelf life and quality of banana cv. Poovan.

The effect of different levels and methods of post-harvest application of CaCl2 on ripening, shelf-life, and quality of banana cv. Poovan was studied in Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India. The fruits were harvested at full maturity, dehanded and treated with CaCl2 at 2, 4, and 6% either by dipping for 10 min or by vacuum infiltration for 5 min. The fruits were stored in plastic baskets under ambient conditions (29-35°C, relative humidity 72%). The treatments enhanced the ripening process and senescence of banana fruits, thereby shortening the shelf life. The effect was more prominent when the vacuum infiltration method was used. The rates of change of the physico-chemical properties of the treated fruits during storage were either faster or on a par with the untreated control. From authors' summary