Abstract
The storage behaviour of cooking banana cultivars, Bluggoe (ABB), Pacific plantain (AAB), Blue Lubin (ABB) and Pisang Awak (ABB), was compared in air and in modified atmospheres at 28, 20, 13, 7 and 3°C. All cultivars responded markedly to storage in modified atmospheres; the storage life was usually increased by a factor of two in the absence of an ethylene absorbent and a factor of three when the absorbent (potassium permanganate on aluminium oxide) was present. Reducing the temperature of storage from 28 to 13°C further increased storage life. Pisang Awak showed the least response. The cultivars differed considerably in their response to low temperature. The dessert cultivar Williams (AAA) was more susceptible than the cooking banana cultivars. Among the cooking banana cultivars, Bluggoe was the most susceptible to chilling injury and Pisang Awak the least. The use of modified atmospheres with or without ethylene absorption had no effect on the incidence of chilling injury.