Post-harvest evaluation of banana accessions for shelf life and quality parameters

The 67 accessions tested revealed large variations in green life, shelf life, TSS and acidity. The study shows that it is possible to select for longer green life which would help in avoiding post-harvest losses in transportation and storage. The identification of accessions with shelf life of 8–10 days compared with 6 days in the control is a highly significant feature of the study, as commercialization of such varieties would significantly reduce the losses occurring in the post-ripening phase. Since the final choice of a variety for commercial production depends upon many other factors like resistance to diseases, insect pests and nematodes, agronomic yield and above all consumer preferences, more studies would be needed in these directions. By developing a detailed understanding of the post-harvest performance, the opportunities for fuller exploitation of the desirable accessions are increased. There is also the distinct possibility of using the selected accessions in breeding programmes aimed at improving the post-harvest performance.