Timing of 1-methylcyclopropene exposure in relation to ethylene application influences shelf life of cavendish bananas

Abstract

We examined the response of shelf life and fruit quality of banana ('Williams') from the middle of the bunch to the application of 1-MCP and ethylene simultaneously as well as the effect of pre-and early-climacteric application of 1-MCP on bananas harvested from the top or bottom of bunches. Fruit were treated with ethylene at 100 μl L-1 for two consecutive days as a control or simultaneously with 1-MCP at different concentrations (30, 100 or 300 nl L-1) on the first day or second day, or treated with 1-MCP alone on the third day. To examine the effect of low concentrations of 1-MCP in the pre-climacteric stage fruit were treated with 1-MCP at (0, 2, 4, 5, 6 or 10 nl L-1) for 6h at 22°C followed by ethylene at 100 μl L-1 for two consecutive days (control) or ethylene followed by early-climacteric 1-MCP application at 300 nl L-1. Shelf life increased significantly compared to the control when 1-MCP was applied coincidently with ethylene in the second day and reapplied alone in the third day or applied only in the third day. Application of 1-MCP at the lower concentrations at the pre-climacteric stage in combination with reapplication of 1-MCP in the early-climacteric stage increased shelf life significantly in both fruit from the top and bottom of the bunch. We conclude that simultaneous application of 1-MCP is more effective than the more common method of extending banana shelf life through application of 1-MCP after ethylene treatment.