Physical and Biochemical assessments on banana in different postharvest storages

The effect of two storage methods (plastic crate covered with punched newspaper and open plastic crate) on physical and biochemical and also the microbial infestation rates of cultivar of Musa (Berangan) at three different time points (day 5, day 10 and day 15) including the initial time point (day 0) were investigated. From this current experiment, the physical and biochemical quality of bananas was not significantly (p=0,U5) affected by the type of storages but a significant different was found by the storage time (day 0, day 5, day 10 and day 15). The maximum mean value for fresh weight (FW%), firmness (N), Vitamin C (%), Soluble Solid Content (SSC) and pH at day 15th was recorded by covered storage‘s bananas with fresh weight (59.5±4.4), firmness (230±112), Vitamin C (0.183%±0.002), SSC (24.3±1.2), pH (5.38±0.01). The maximum hue angle (h°) was recorded by uncovered storage‘s bananas with
(56±1.24). While for Total Titrable Acid (%), the mean values between two storages were similar with (0.007±0.00). In terms of microbial infection assessment, the covered storage proved to be able to elongate the starting time of the disease infection caused by the opportunistic microbes especially fungi.