Tecnologias pós-colheita na conservação da banana 'Prata-anã' produzida no Norte de Minas Gerais

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted with 'Prata Anã' banana coming from the municipal district of Nova Porteirinha, MG, Brazil. From the picked clusters, he second bunches were used, separated in clusters with 5 fruits. These were washed, weighed(18kg), wrapped in 50um polyethylene, partial removal of the air being done, conditioned in cardboard boxes and later distributed on paletes. After being wrapped and put on paletes, the fruits were transported to EPAMIG/CTNM, where they were stored in refrigeration chambers at 10 and 12°Cwith a relative humidity of 95% for a period of 35 days, being analyzed before and after the refrigeration. In the first experiment the influence of refrigerated storage (10and12°C) and different ages of the bunches(16, 18and 20 weeks) was evaluated on the banana 'spost-harvest conservation, the fruits being analyzed before and after refrigeration. In the second experiment, the quality of the fruits from 16 and18week-oldbunches,refrigeratedfor 35 days at 10 and 12°Cwas evaluated at 2, 3, 4, and 5 days of storage at room temperature after refrigeration, looking towards exportation. The 10 and 12°C temperatures did not promote"chilling" in the fruits independem of bunch age in both experiments. Fruits coming from 20 week-old bunches ripened, nonuniformly,duringrefrigeratedstorage.The10°Ctemperature was more effective in preventing the evolution of banana peel coloration of fruits coming from18 week-old bunches than the 12°C temperature, while the 10 and 12°C temperatures were equally efficient in the contention of color change of fruits coming 16 week-old bunches. Fruits from 16 and 18 week-old bunches refrigeratedat12°Cfor 35 days presented a more advanced degree of ripening in relation to the fruits refrigerated at 10°Cfor 35 days after five days of storage at room temperature (20°C), at the 5,h degree of coloration. From the results obtained it is concluded that the fruits coming from 16 and18week-old bunches are appropriate for refrigerated storage for 35 days at 10 and 12°C, the 12°C temperature being economically more viable.