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Effects of Harvesting Stage and Ripening Methods on the Duration of Ripening,

Shelf Life and Quality of Dessert Banana

Article · January 2008

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Amon P Maerere Renalda Munubi

Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)
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Effects of Harvesting Stage and Ripening Methods on the Duration
of Ripening, Shelf Life and Quality of Dessert Banana

A.P. Maerere* and R. Munubi

Department of Crop Science and Production, Sokoine University of Agriculture,

P. O. Box 3005 Morogoro, Tanzania

Abstract
This study was conducted in order to describe the effect of traditional practice of forcing ripening of banana by
the application of smoke and to determine the effect of the practice on the quality of banana destined for sale as
dessert fruits by traders in Morogoro, Tanzania. Cultivar “Grand nain” (AAA – Cavendish subgroup) locally
known as “Mtwike” is the major dessert banana in the Morogoro district. The fruit is harvested at a maturity
stage equivalent to the full three quarters. They are smoked on the day of harvest before being transported for
sale to the urban markets two days later. Results show that at similar stage of maturity at harvest, smoke
ripened fruits did not differ significantly (P=0.05) in terms of measured quality parameters as pH (acidity) of
the pulp, soluble solids (14.9 – 23.0% Brix) and sugar contents 20.0 – 20.3mg/100ml) from fruits treated with
ethylene or ripened naturally. Major differences observed were that smoking induced rapid ripening, which
occurred within 2 days, but resulted in green ripe fruits, with relatively shorter shelf life (2 – 8 days). It is
considered that, the heat from the fire producing the smoke, raised the temperature in the ripening pit causing
the softening of the fruit pulp or high respiration rate that hastened ripening and fruit deterioration.

Key word: Banana, harvesting stage, smoke ripening, acidity, soluble solids.
experience and judged visually by the change
Introduction in the shape or angularity of the fingers

T anzania is the third largest banana producer

in East and Central Africa, producing about
3 millions tonnes annually (FAOstat, 2007).
(individual fruits on a bunch) as a reflection of
the level of fruit filling. Three basic levels are
usually defined as the “half full” (fruits at about
Important production areas in the country are one-half their possible maximum size with
the high altitude areas with high rainfall clearly visible angles), the “full three quarters”
(Kagera, Kilimanjaro, Arusha and Mbeya (fruits with less prominent angles) and “full”
regions) and the low altitude areas with (fruits from which angles have virtually
moderate rainfall regions of Morogoro, Rukwa, disappeared) (Stover and Simmonds, 1987). The
Tanga and the Zanzibar Island. In Morogoro choice of the appropriate stage of harvest
region, banana is not a major staple food crop. depends on the length of the green life required
However, in major production areas in the before ripening takes place. Fruits are harvested
region, it constitutes an important cash crop, fully mature for immediate ripening and sale in
sold as ripe dessert fruits. Ripe fruits are sold local markets or earlier (thinner), when a longer
through middlemen to urban markets. period of transport or storage is expected.
Dessert banana is a highly perishable product. Ripening is achieved either naturally under
When it is commercially produced for export or ambient temperatures or by artificial treatment
sale to long distance markets, it is normally with ethylene under controlled environments.
harvested and transported to reach the In the Morogoro district in Tanzania, the
consumption destination while still green traditional practice is that the banana is
(unripe). The stage of harvest is determined by harvested while green and is immediately put

*Corresponding Author Tanzania J.Agric.Sc. (2008) Vol. 9 No.1, 86 -93

Accepted September, 2008
87 Maerere A.P. and R. Manubi

in special ripening pits where it is treated with Table 1: Important dessert banana cultivars in
Morogoro District, Tanzania
smoke, before being transported to the urban
markets. Mansfield (1938), Simmonds (1982) Cultivar reference Local name(s) Sub-group Group
name
and Stover and Simmonds (1987) described the
Grand nain Mtwike Cavendish AAA
different techniques of artificial banana
Dwarf Cavendish Kimalindi fupi, Cavendish AAA
ripening practised in East Africa. The different
Kiguruwe
techniques described by these authors do not
Giant Cavendish Kimalindi ndefu Cavendish AAA
however involve the application of smoke. On
Paz Paz Cavendish AAA
the other hand, the practices are employed for
Gros Michel Jamaica, Bahama, Cavendish AAA
the ripening of bananas destined for immediate
Mwanza, Enjoge
use, e.g. in beer making. Apparently, for this
Silk and Sport of Kisukari Silk AAB
reason, the quality of the fruits ripened by this silk
system has never been considered. This study Kanana Kisukari Ney AB
was therefore undertaken to evaluate the Poovan
influence of different levels of maturity and Red Mzungu Red AAA
smoke ripening on ripening rate, shelf life and Mwekundu
quality of banana fruits. Green Red Mzungu Mweupe Red AAA

Materials and Methods

Description of the study area Description of the traditional method of
banana ripening
The study was conducted in Mkuyuni and
Mzinga divisions in Morogoro district. These Informal interviews were held with traders and
areas experience a hot and humid tropical farmers in Mkuyuni and Mzinga divisions,
climate, with high rainfall (1500 – 3000mm) Morogoro district, in order to find out the post
mainly from late March to May and from late harvest treatments of banana fruits and how the
November or early December to January. Mean smoke ripening treatment was conducted. In
temperatures are around 250C. The coolest addition, the authors’ participation in
temperatures range from 15 to 200C and are conducting the smoking process facilitated
experienced during the dry season (June to better understanding of the practice.
September), while the highest temperatures (31
– 320C) are common in December - February. Assessment of the duration to ripening, shelf
life and quality of ripe fruits
Plant material
Experiments to assess the duration to ripening,
Banana cultivar “Grand nain” (AAA – the shelf life of ripe fruits and analysis of fruit
Cavendish subgroup) locally known as quality were conducted as per the following
“Mtwike” is the most preferred by traders as treatments: -
the best quality dessert banana. It dominates
the banana loads bought and transported by (i) Fruits harvested at the “full”
traders from the different areas in Morogoro maturity stage and ripened by
district. Consequently, the cultivar was chosen smoke application.
for this study. Other important dessert banana (ii) Fruits harvested at the “full”
cultivars in the area are as shown in table 1. maturity stage and ripened by
treatment with ethephon (a liquid
generator of ethylene).
(iii) Fruits harvested at the “full”
maturity stage and ripened in the
 Effect of Harvesting Stage and Ripening Methods 88

laboratory without any treatment Determination of shelf life

(natural ripening).
Immediately after reaching full ripeness, fruits
(iv) Fruits harvested at the “full three- of each treatment were stored at a room
quarters” maturity stage and temperature of 2530C. Their shelf life was
ripened by treatment with smoke. determined by counting the number of days to
(v) Fruits harvested at the “full three- when the fruits were considered spoiled or
quarters” maturity and ripened in unfit for consumption, i.e., when the pulp had
the laboratory by treatment with become translucent and the peel blackened.
ethephon.
Fruit quality analysis
(vi) Fruits harvested at the “full three-
For each treatment, four ripe fruits were
quarters” maturity and ripened in
selected, peeled, cut into slices and blended for
the laboratory without any
two minutes, using a kitchen blender. The pulp
treatment (natural ripening).
obtained was used for analysis of quality in
Banana bunches of the cultivar “Grand nain” at terms of Total Soluble Solids (TSS), acidity and
the two harvesting stages: “full” maturity stage reducing sugars. TSS was determined using a
and “full three-quarters” stage (Simmond and hand refractometer (type Atago p-1). A drop of
Stover, 1987) were cut into hands. Two hands pulp was spread over the surface of the prism
were allocated to the different treatments and the readings in Brix percentage recorded.
above, each replicated three times. The Fruit’s acidity was determined by the use of a
treatments with smoke were conducted at pH-metre (pH-thermometer Bioblock
Tandai village (Mkuyuni division) by including scientific). The electrode of the pH-metre was
the experimental hands in the lots treated by dipped into the juice and the pH readings
traders. recorded.
Fruits ripening by application of The Luff-Schoorl method was adopted to
ethephon or naturally were conducted in the measure the level of reducing sugars. Triplicate
laboratory at Sokoine University of Agriculture samples of known weight were extracted with
(SUA). The fruits were initially washed and 90ml of hot water (to extract the water-soluble
dipped in a fungicide to prevent fungal attacks. matter). The solution was clarified by adding
Treatment with Ethephon involved dipping the 5ml of Carrez II solution and made to 100ml
hands in a water solution of Ethrel 400 at a rate volume. The solution was then filtered using
of 500ppm. After the treatment, the hands were Whatman filter paper no. 1. The filtrate was
enclosed in a cooled incubator for 24 hrs, at a analysed for reducing sugars by mixing 10ml of
temperature of 18+20C. Thereafter, the sample with 10ml of Copper reagent into 100ml
incubator door was opened for 30 minutes daily conical flask, heated gently for 5 minutes, and
up to ripening, to allow aeration. Naturally cooled in a cooling water bath. Potassium
ripened (untreated) fruits were kept on a iodide (2mg) was added into the cooled sample
laboratory bench at room temperature (25+30C) flushed, swirled to dissolve. Then 10ml of 6N
up to ripening. HCl were added. The contents of flushes were
titrated with 0.1ml of 1N sodium thiosulphate
Determination of the duration to ripening until the iodine colour nearly disappeared. This
The duration to ripening of fruits was assessed was followed by adding 1ml of starch indicator
by counting the number of days from the day of and titration continued until the blue colour
application of the ripening treatment to when changed to give a white precipitate of cuprous
the fruits’ pulp had attained soft texture and iodide with no traces of blue. The amount of
uniform yellow colour of the skin. reducing sugars in the original sample was
89 Maerere A.P. and R. Manubi

calculated using the converting titration The pit is covered on the top (roofed) using
volume to sugar content table of the Luff- poles, grass and soil leaving two openings. One
schoorl method (AOAC, 1995). opening is left on the “roof” and serves as the
entrance, while a smaller opening is made on
Results one side of the pit below the “roof”. It is at this
Description of the smoking process opening that firewood is burnt. When fire is lit,
Figure 1 is a schematic presentation of a typical this opening allows smoke and heat from the
ripening or smoking pit. The dimensions of the fire to penetrate into the pit and circulate
pits vary with the size of the banana load around the fruits.
handled by a trader. On average the size varies
from 2m x 2m x 2.5m to 2.5m x 3.5m x 3.5m.
Entrance to pit

Arranging banana
hands in pit
Fireplace

Smoke
into pit

Dry banana leaves lining

Banana hands
Figure 1: Cross section of a banana ripening pit

Banana bunches bought at the market or used to cover up the fruits after pit filling and
directly from the farms are firstly assembled at are considered to help in retaining smoke
the pit site. They are cut into pieces of 2 to 3 around the fruits.
hands in Mkuyuni division or into single hands The entrance to the pit is thereafter
in Mzinga division and left in the sun for 2 – 3 sealed to allow the smoking process to start.
hours to allow drainage of the sap before they Fire is lit four to five times at different intervals,
are introduced into the pit. The pit floor is each application lasting 30 – 60 minutes. The
initially lined with dried banana leaves to first smoke application is done right after pit
prevent the fruits from getting in direct contact filling. On the following day (about 18 hours
with the soil. The dry banana leaves are also later) three treatments are conducted at an
 Effect of Harvesting Stage and Ripening Methods 90

interval of about 6 hours. The fruits are ripened fruits differed from those ripened
thereafter left overnight in the ripening pit. The naturally and by treatment with ethephon in
smoking process is usually completed after 42 that softening of the fruit pulp precedes the
hours, when the banana will be removed from change of fruit peel colour from green to
the pit. yellow.

Duration of ripening and shelf life Shelf life

Duration of ripening Banana ripened without any treatment had the
longest shelf life (Table 2). Their percentage of
Smoked banana regardless of the stage of
decay was negligible at 8 days after ripening at
maturity, were found ripe 2 days after the end
room temperature (25+30C) as compared to
of the smoking process (Table 2). When the
those treated by either ethephon or smoke.
bananas were removed from the pits 42 hours
Smoke ripened fruits had the shortest shelf life.
after smoking, they still appeared green in
Overall, fruits harvested at the full maturity
colour but already with a pulp soft in texture. It
stage under all ripening treatments spoiled
required on average 2 days for the bananas to
faster than those harvested at the full three-
change to yellow colour after removal from the
quarters stage.
pit.

Table 2: Influence of the ripening treatments and

Ripe fruits quality
harvesting stage on duration to ripening The fruits from the different ripening
and shelf life of banana fruits treatments had pH values ranging from 4.8 to
Ripening Harvest Duration Shelf life at 20 ± 5.3 (Table 3). The most acidic fruits were the
treatment ing to 20C naturally ripened harvested at “full three-
stage ripening quarters” maturity. The least acidic fruits were
(days)
(days) the untreated “full” maturity stage harvested
Full 2 2–5 fruits. Overall, however, there were no
Three 2 4–8 significant differences among the different
Smoking
quarter ripening treatments. Only the untreated “full”
full harvested fruits differed significantly (P<0.05)
Full 4-5 5-8 from the naturally ripened “full three-quarters”
Ethephon Three 6 - 10 7 – 10 maturity harvested fruits.
quarters
Reducing sugars
Full 6-9 8 – 10
There was no significant difference (P = 0.05) in
Natural Three 10 -14 8 - 16
ripening the reducing sugar content of “full” harvested
quarters
full and “full three-quarters” harvested fruits
ripened by smoking. For fruits ripened by
Fruits harvested at the “full” maturity stage treatment with ethephon, the “full” harvested
and treated with ethephon were yellow ripe 5 fruits had significantly (P=0.05) less reducing
days after the treatment, earlier than those sugars compared to the “full three-quarters”
harvested at the “full three-quarters” stage and harvested fruits (19.8%). The reverse was
the naturally ripened fruits harvested at the however true for fruits that underwent natural
“full” maturity stage, which required 8 days. ripening after harvest (Table 3).
Naturally ripened fruits harvested at the “full
three-quarters” stage needed the longest time to
ripen (12 days) (Table 2). Overall, smoke
91 Maerere A.P. and R. Manubi

Table 3: Quality parameters of banana fruits of be attributed to the heat. Moreover, the heat
different maturity stages at harvest and would be the cause of softening of the fruits
ripening treatments. within 42 hours of treatment, while the fruit
Ripening Harvesting pH TSS Reducing
was still green. This is usually considered as an
treatment stage
(oBrix)
sugars abnormality (Gane, 1936), referred to as
(mg/100 ml) development of green ripe fruits.
Full 5.1ab 21.7ab 19.5a The longest shelf life was recorded with
Smoking Full three- 5.0ab 19.7c 20.3a the naturally ripened fruits, particularly with
quarters “full three-quarters” fruits. On the other hand,
Full 5.1ab 23.0a 12.0c it was observed that the more rapid the
Ethephon Full three- 4.8ab 20.6bc 19.8a ripening process, the shorter the shelf life of the
quarters fruits. It can be considered that, since ripening
Full 5.3a 22.5a 18.7b is a senescence process that leads eventually to
Natural spoilage of the fruit, treatments or factors,
ripening Full three- 4.8ab 14.9d 12.5c
quarters which can incite rapid ripening, will as well
lead to faster deterioration or short shelf life.
Numbers within the same column followed by different
letters indicate significant difference according to the For climacteric fruits like banana, ripening is
DMRT (P = 0.05). known to be associated with a dramatic rise in
respiration. Since the rate of respiration is
temperature dependent, i.e., it increases as the
Discussion temperature increases, the heat in this case
resulting from the fire used in the smoking
Cultivars Mtwike, Cavendish subgroup (AAA)
process, would account for a possible very high
and Kisukari (AB & AAB) are the most widely
respiration rate of smoke treated fruits and thus
grown dessert bananas in Morogoro urban and
their short storage life.
rural areas. They are consumed either as a
dessert banana or for cooking (Evers, 1992). The High temperatures and possibly, high
traditional harvesting stage of dessert banana carbon dioxide, and low oxygen content in the
for sale is usually the “full three-quarters” stage ripening pit would lead to the physiological
of maturity. This is also the internationally disorder or abnormal ripening known as “green
accepted stage of harvest of banana to be ripe” fruits. High temperatures raise the
transported to distant markets (Samson, 1986; respiration rate and increase sensitivity to
Stover and Simmonds, 1987). At this stage, the ethylene in banana fruits. Also, the climacteric
fruits are less perishable when transported and ethylene production peaks are advanced
green. Moreover, banana is a typical climacteric under such conditions. By increasing the
fruit; it can therefore be harvested when it is sensitivity to ethylene, a very low concentration
well developed but still green and it’s ripening of ethylene would initiate ripening of banana
obtained later, either naturally at ambient fruits, and activate the enzymes related to
condition or artificially by chemical treatments. ripening such as Polygalacturonase (PG), Pectin
Methyl Esterase (PME) and Peroxidase (POD)
The rate of ripening differed with the
(Ali et al., 2004). It can therefore be considered
method or ripening treatment applied. Smoke is
that, high temperature in the pit accelerated the
known to produce ethylene, which is the
softening of the pulp and inhibited activities of
chemical that triggers ripening. In smoking,
POD in the peel, which led to the inhibition of
besides the generation of ethylene, the fire
chlorophyll breakdown and the “green ripe”
generated heat as well, that raised the
syndrome developed after 42 hours.
temperature in the pit. Therefore, the fast rate
of ripening affected by the smoking process can
 Effect of Harvesting Stage and Ripening Methods 92

In this study, it was observed that the ripening pit. This could be achieved either by
different quality parameters analysed varied facilitating aeration around the fruits or by
within the normal range for banana. The making the fire far away from the ripening pit
maturity stage at which the fruits were and the smoke channelled into the pit through a
harvested had an influence on fruit acidity. The pipe.
“full three-quarters” harvested fruits were more
acidic (low pH) after ripening than those
harvested at the “full” maturity. This is logical,
Acknowledgement
as it can be considered that at latter stage, the The study forms part of the outreach activities
acidity of fruits will have naturally decreased to of the Horticulture Unit of the Sokoine
an appreciable extent than at the former stage, University of Agriculture, Morogoro Tanzania.
since immature fruits are more acidic
(Shimokawa et al., 1972). References
The fruits quality in terms of TSS and Ali, Z.M., L.H. Chin and H. Lazan. (2004).
sugar content, indicated the existence of
Acomparative study on wall degrading
significant difference (P=0.05) between the
enymes, pectin modifications and
harvesting stages. The “full three-quarters”
softening during ripening of selected
harvested fruits were inferior to the “full”
tropical fruits. Plant Science. 167(2): 317-
maturity harvested fruits. This is logical as well,
327.
since the soluble solids and sugar contents of
fruits are known to increase with maturity and
AOAC (Association of Official Analytical
ripening (Shimokawa et al., 1972). The influence Chemists). (1995). Official methods of
of the different ripening treatments on the
Analysis. 16th edition (Edited by
quality was not significant. However, according Cunniff, P.). AOAC International,
to Loesecke (1950) fruits ripened with ethylene Arlington.
would have greater increase in sugars. On the
other hand, it has been suggested that, even
Cordenunsi, R.R. and F.M. Lajalo. (1983). Starch
though ethylene may accelerate the conversion
breakdown during banana ripening.
of starch to sugars, the final results would not
Sucrose synthase and sucrose phosphate
be different from other ripening treatments
synthase. J. Agric. Food Chem. 43: 347-
(Cordenunsi and Lajalo, 1983; Terra et al., 1983).
351.

Conclusion Evers, G. (1992). Banana cultivar diversity in

This study shows that, banana fruits harvested the area of Morogoro, Tanzania. Fruits.
at the “full three-quarters” stage of maturity 47(3): 377-391.
and ripened by smoke, were of a quality falling
within the standard range with respect to pH FAOstat. (2007). [http://faostat.fao.org] site
(acidity), TSS and reducing sugar contents. visited on 30/10/2007.
Smoking to induce ripening had therefore no
direct effect on the fruits organoleptic qualities. Gane, R. (1936). A study of the respiration of
It facilitated rapid ripening of the fruits, but it banana. New Phytopathology 35:382-
adversely affected their keeping quality, such 402.
that their shelf life was shortened. As a measure
to improve this traditional method of banana Loesecke, H. Von. (1950). Bananas. 2nd edition.
ripening by smoking, it is recommended to Interscience Publishers Inc., New York.
avoid development of high temperature in the
 93 Maerere A.P. and R. Manubi

Mansfield, G.B. (1938). The production of Simmonds, N.W. (1982). Banana. Longman,
native beer in Uganda. East Afr. Agric. London.
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