1. ROLE OF GROWTH REGULATORS IN BANANA Next End

2. PLANT HORMONE Plant hormone has been defined as organic substance produced naturally in the higher plants, controlling growth or other physiological functions at a site remote from its place of production and active in minute amounts. Plant growth regulators These are defined as organic compounds other than nutrients which in small amount promotes/inhibit or modify any physiological response in plants and they are artificially synthesized PreviousNextEnd

3. USE OF GROWTH REGULATORS IN BANANA  To improve the grade of bunches 2, 4-D at 25 ppm (25 mg/lit) may be sprayed in Poovan and CO.1 banana after the last hand has opened.  The same treatment is also helpful to remove seediness in “Poovan” variety.  Application of ancymidol at 100 ppm, 2, 4, 5 – T at 100 ppm or Racuza at 100 ppm proved more effective than GA 3­ or Ethrel in increasing the size of fingers and bunch weight. Spraying of GA 3­ on 35 or 55 days old banana bunches three times on alternate days increased the weight and volume of fingers in both young and old bunches. PreviousNextEnd

4.  In cultivar Rasthali, hard mass or hard lump, characterized by pinkish brown, firm pulp than the usual soft pulp occurs, tastes like immature or unripe fruits.  Spraying the bunches uniformly with 2, 4-D at 1000 ppm or dipping the cut end of peduncle of the bunches for a period of 5 minutes appear to favour the reduction of lumps and improve the size. PreviousNextEnd

5. RIPENING Banana ripens very slowly and irregularly. For quick ripening and even ripening various treatments are given. In many countries, the fruit is ripened in specially constructed ripening rooms which can be heated, ventilated and the relative humidity carefully controlled. Ethylene at a concentration of 1 part per thousand also helps in initiating ripening of banana. Ripening may be initiated by dipping bunches for 30 seconds in 2, 4-D solution at 1000 ppm. A concentration of 500 ppm ethrel (2- chloroethylphophonic acid) is sufficient to accelerate ripening. Calcium carbide releasing acetylene is also widely used to initiate ripening of banana. PreviousNextEnd

6. Ripening of banana can be retarded significantly with post harvest dip in 150 ppm GA + 500 ppm benomyl or 150 ppm GA+ 6% waxol. Shelf life of banana fruits and their quality can also extended 3 days more over the control with the use of ethylene absorbent like vermiculite blocks when they are soaked in KMnO 4. In commercial trade, ripening is initiated by using various chemical substances. Growth regulating chemicals such as 2,4-D, 2,4,5 – T, IAA and ABA have been tried to hasten ripening. 2,4- D is the cheapest chemical for inducing artificial ripening and 1000 ppm of 2,4 –D for 30 seconds was optimum. PreviousNextEnd

7. A post harvest dip of banana fruit in ABA and IAA solutions also hastened the ripening process. Use of acetylene gas generated for CaC 2 for ripening banana started as early as 1932. Since then CaC 2 is used on large scale in case of ripening green mature bananas. When Basri Dwarf bananas were exposed to ethrel at 1000 – 3000 ppm and CaC 2 (10-25 gm) in paper lined basket. Different concentrations (200, 400, 600 and 800 ppm) of ethrel caused development of good colour, flavour and taste of fruits of Giant Governor variety at different stages of harvest. PreviousNextEnd

8. 2,4 – D is the cheapest for inducing artificial ripening. The fruit should be dipped for 10 seconds in 1000 ppm, 2,4-D. Ethrel solution 5000 ppm with 5g NaOH pellets kept in a beaker in the beaker in the ripening chamber ripened the banana fruits with in 48 hours. PreviousNextEnd