Preharvest cultural practices affect postharvest quality attributes of banana fruits, Musa spp
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Date
2011-08Author
Cemma, H.
Sugaya, S.
Sekozawa, Y.
Ambuko, J.
Language
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Preharvest factors including agro-ecological conditions, cultural practices and
crop variety selection greatly impact fruit quality potential at harvest and
postharvest longevity. In this study, quality attributes of banana fruits (Musa
spp), cultivars 'Williams' and 'Grande naine' produced under low chemical
production system (LCPS) and conventional production systems (CPS) were
investigated. The fruits produced under the two production systems were
evaluated for various physicochemical attributes including peel hue angle,
firmness, moisture content, starch, soluble sugars and titratable acidity (TTA).
Sensory evaluation by untrained panelists was done to compare the
organoleptic attributes ofthe banana fruits. The results showed that 'Williams'
bananas from the LCPS had better eating quality as evidenced by higher
soluble sugars, less starch and lower flesh firmness and higher moisture content
ofthe ripened fruits. 'Grande naine' bananas generally had higher levels ofTTA
compared to 'Williams' and in both cultivars LCPS bananas had higher TTA
levels compared to CPS bananas. These quality attributes were affected by
seasonal variability in climatic conditions. Sensory panelists did not clearly
discriminate between LCPS and CPS bananas but showed preference for
'Williams' bananas over 'Grande naine' bananas. These results show that
banana variety, cultural practices and harvest season affect the banana quality
attributes at harvest and affect the eating quality of the fruits.
Citation
Optimimization of Agricultural Value Chains for sustainable DevelopmentSponsorhip
National Council of Science and Technology, The Kenya Seed CompanyPublisher
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi
Description
aGRO 2011 Biennial Conference presentation