Influence of bunch bagging on the development of banana Prata (AAB) and prevention of chilling injury in the field

Abstract

Banana is extremely sensitive to chilling injury (CI). It shows symptoms of peel browning at approximately 12°C and severe symptoms at 6°C. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of different bagging materials on development of banana bunch (Musa spp. AAB cv. Prata) and preventing CI in field. The study was carried in Jacupiranga, São Paulo, Brazil, in a completely randomized design in 2 × 9 factorial, in which treatments were two years of formation of bunch and nine bagging materials, with eight replicates. Bagging was performed in the autumn and winter to ensure the occurrence of CI in the field, and the evaluations after harvesting and fruit maturation. The bagging materials consisted of blue transparent polyethylene, white non-woven fabric, white opaque polyethylene, bubble wrap, white laminated non-woven fabric, double paper, blue transparent polyethylene plus kraft paper, blue transparent polyethylene plus white non-woven fabric and non-bagged. In 2013, the bunches of were exposed to 182.02 h of temperatures lower than 12C and 5.25 h of temperatures lower than 5C, while in 2014, only 70.76 h of temperatures lower than 12C was provided. Bunches formed in 2013 had longer exposure periods between flowering and harvest due to the low temperatures, but exhibited higher mass than those formed in 2014. The CI index was only 1.38 in 2013 and 1.00 in 2014 (p<0.05). On the colder days of 2013 and 2014, bagging raised peel temperature 1.91 and 3.17°C, respectively. The bagging material influenced yield, the accumulation of nutrients in fruits and the hue angle of peel. Double paper promoted fruits with more yellow peel.