Vol. 9, Special Issue 12, Part V (2025)

The present investigation was carried out to assess the effect of postharvest ethylene application on spoilage incidence and respiratory behaviour during ripening of banana fruits under ambient conditions. Banana fruits harvested at eighty-five percent physiological maturity were subjected to ethylene treatments at different concentrations, namely fifty, seventy-five, one hundred, and one hundred twenty-five parts per million, in combination with varied pulsing frequencies using a low-cost ripening chamber. The experiment was arranged in a factorial completely randomized design with three replications. Spoilage percentage was monitored throughout the ripening period, while respiratory activity was evaluated by measuring changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations during storage. The results revealed that spoilage increased progressively with advancement of ripening and was more pronounced in fruits exposed to higher ethylene concentrations. Fruits receiving elevated ethylene doses exhibited an earlier onset of spoilage and higher spoilage levels compared to fruits treated with lower concentrations. Ethylene application significantly altered respiratory behaviour, as evidenced by increased carbon dioxide accumulation and reduced oxygen concentration during ripening. Higher ethylene concentrations coupled with increased pulsing frequency accelerated the climacteric rise in respiration, resulting in rapid ripening and reduced storage life. The findings indicate that although ethylene application is essential for inducing uniform ripening, excessive concentration and improper exposure regimes adversely affect fruit quality. Optimization of ethylene concentration and pulsing frequency is therefore necessary to minimize postharvest losses while maintaining desirable ripening characteristics in banana.