Influence of post bunching sprays of cytokinin, potassium and calcium on yield and shelf life of banana (Musa AAB Nendran) fruits

Abstract

The experiment entitled " Influence of post-bunching sprays of cytokinin, potassium and calcium on yield and shelf life of banana (Musa AAB Nendran) fruits" were carried out in the Department of Pomology and Floriculture, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara. The study was investigated during two seasons from 1997 to 1999 with the objective of increasing the yield and shelf life by bunch management sprays in plants which had been given bunch stalk feeding of urea, primarily by use of a nutrient viz., potassium; secondly by use of nutrient which acts in preserving the integrity of the cell wall viz, calcium and thirdly, a plant growth regulator with known anti senescence properties viz., cytokinin. The study emphasised the overall superiority of three percent K2SO4 sprays applied at third and fourth week after bunch emergence. Yield and yield components like the finger characters such as length, grade and FCI were improved by the treatments. A delay in maturity and ripening and an extended shelf life were observed. The quality of treated fruits revealed reduced acidity, increased sugar contents, higher urease activity, lower residual urea and lower levels of nitrite nitrogen. Electrolytic leakage was also less in K treated fruits