Vol. 11, Issue 9 (2022)

Author(s):
V Raja, S Saraswathy, V Premalakshmi, T Anitha and K Venkatesan

Abstract:
A field experiment was conducted in the farmer’s field located at Erasakkanaickanur, Chinnamannur block, Theni district, Tamil Nadu, India during 2021-2022 to evaluate the effect of pre-harvest treatments on yield and postharvest quality of banana (Musa spp.) cv. Red Banana with 12 treatments, three replications in Randomized Block Design. The treatments consist of T₁ (K₂SO₄ 1.0% + MnSO₄ 0.5%), T₂ (K₂SO₄ 1.0% + CaCl₂ 0.5%), T₃ (K₂SO₄ 1.0% + Boric acid 0.1%), T₄ (MnSO₄ 0.5% + CaCl₂ 0.5%), T₅ (MnSO₄ 0.5% + Boric acid 0.1%), T₆ (CaCl₂ 0.5% + Boric acid 0.1%), T₇ (K₂SO₄ 1.0% + MnSO₄ 0.5% + CaCl₂ 0.5%), T₈ (K₂SO₄ 1.0% + MnSO₄ 0.5% + Boric acid 0.1%), T₉ (K₂SO₄ 1.0% + CaCl₂ 0.5% + Boric acid 0.1%), T₁₀ (MnSO₄ 0.5% + CaCl₂ 0.5% + Boric acid 0.1%), T₁₁ (K₂SO₄ 1.0% + MnSO₄ 0.5% + CaCl₂ 0.5% + Boric acid 0.1%) and T₁₂ (Control). Three sprays of pre-harvest treatments were imposed at immediately after denavelling one month after denavelling and two months after denavelling in the standing crop. The results of the study revealed that the maximum values for number of hands bunch^-1 (5.90), number of fingers hand^-1 (15.78), number of fingers bunch^-1 (89.84), finger length (25.81 cm), finger girth (16.87 cm), fruit weight (175.38 g), bunch weight (20.19 kg), TSS (20.19 ˚brix), total sugars (18.19%), reducing sugars (15.67%), non-reducing sugars (2.52%), β carotene (23.14 mg 100 g^-1), anthocyanin (222.90 mg kg^-1) and shelf life (9.30 days) were recorded in the treatment combination of T₁₁ (K₂SO₄ 1% + MnSO₄ 0.5% + CaCl₂ 0.5% + Boric acid 0.1%) in banana cv. Red Banana. The minimum values for titratable acidity (0.50%), physiological loss in weight (3.57%), finger drop (11.50%) and finger rotting (30.75%) were also recorded in the same treatment. Whereas the highest values for bunch weight, finger length, finger girth, fruit weight, TSS, total sugars, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars and anthocyanin and the lowest for titratable acidity, physiological loss in weight, finger drop and fruit rotting were registered in the treatment T₁₂ (control).