Abstract

The effect of treatments of banana with blue polyethylene bag covering bunches on the production parameters at harvest, fruit quality during ripening and damage by thrips has been determined. Nine treatments with banana bunch blue polyethylene bags, including the control were evaluated. A complete randomized block design was used. Four replicates per treatment were used with five bunches each. Bunch weight, finger diameter, length and weight at harvest, external and internal fruit quality during ripening, and percentage of damages by thrips on banana fruit were assessed at harvest. Only the micro-perforated blue polyethylene bag impregnated with insecticide chlorpyrifos at 5% (T5) significantly increased the banana fruit diameter and weight (41.06 mm and 255.15 g, respectively) at harvest. Some treatments with blue polyethylene bag significantly improved the pulp weight, titratable acidity, and total soluble solid content, but did not improve the rest of the quality parameters at ripening stage. The fruit damage by red rust thrips was significantly reduced by the treatments with blue polyethylene bag. The blue polyethylene bags impregnated with chlorpyrifos did not improve the control of red rust thrips with respect to the blue polyethylene bags without impregnation with chlorpyrifos.

Key words: Fruit quality, fruit weight, fruit diameter, fruit firmness, thrips, chlorpyrifos, polyethylene bags, bunch bagging.