Effect of Temperature on Physicochemical and Ripening Qualities of Banana (Musa paradisiaca)

Banana is one of the rare fruits which satisfy the definition of a good food, that is, one that contains an ample proportion of nutritive constituents which are easily digested and absorbed, while available at reasonable cost. Banana is unique due to its high calories and nutritive value. As compared to apple, it contains five times more vitamin A and iron, four times protein, three times phosphorus, twice the carbohydrate and the other vitamins and minerals. Bananas are highly perishable commodities with post harvest losses estimated at 20 to 80 per cent. The current post harvest problems for bananas are mainly concerned with storage and marketing. The causes of such losses during storage and marketing include the susceptibility of mature fruit to physical damage, decay of ripe banana fruit due to the attack by pathogenic fungi and uneven and unpredictable ripening of the fruit.