Storing Ethylene-pretreated Bananas in Controlled Atmosphere and Hypobaric Air1
F. W. Liu · Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science · 1976
Abstract ‘Dwarf Cavendish’ bananas ( Musa cavendishii , Lambert), which were pretreated with ethylene and stored 28 days in 1% O 2 or in 1/10 atmospheric pressure at 14°C, remained green and firm until the end of storage, but started to ripen almost immediately after being placed in 21°C air without additional ethylene treatment. The bananas so treated and stored had normal eating quality when ripe. The key to success was a pretreatment with ethylene for a period of time equal to the minimum required to induce the ripening response. Longer periods of ethylene pretreatment caused bananas to ripen in storage. The data suggest ethylene inactivates a natural ripening inhibitor.