Pre and postharvest management on shelf life and quality of banana

The research work was conducted from June 2012 to August 2014 at Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Pundibari (Terai zone) with the objectives to study the effect of pre-harvest spraying of mineral nutrients and pre-harvest bunch cover on shelf life and quality of banana var. Grand Naine. All the vegetative growth parameters, yield attributes, fruit quality and shelf life were significantly improved with the pre-harvest bunch chemical sprays and covering so was the productivity and profit in both plant and ratoon crop. Post-harvest storage packaging of banana fruits coated with wax in polyethylene bags with or without perforations fortified with potassium permanganate further increased its shelf life by 15 days along with improving biochemical quality and increased fruit retention during storage through delayed ripening by creating a modified atmospheric condition inside storage environment.