Postharvest Handling System Tropical Fruits Adel A. Kader, Noel F Sommer; and Mary Lu Arpaia PosTHARVEST HANDLING SYSTEMS. TROPICAL FRUITS 385 ‘The most imporiant tropical fruit by far in temperate the banana; its per capita consumption in the United St than any other tropical ruit. ls popularity among consumers is enhanced by a reasonable price, high fruit quality, ancl availability. The other fresh tropical fruits commonly found in the temperate-zone markets are mango, papaya, and pineapple. The influx of many people Irom topical countries into the United States hhas increased the demand for these and other tropical frts round BANANAS The banana is a large herbaceous plant. The underground tuberous stem, or “bulb,” gives rise to leaves and the fruit bunch, The above ground trunk of the banana tree is a pseudastem consisting of tightly appressed leaf bases. The pscudostem dies after a fruit bunch has been harvested and is replaced by one of the young pscudostems that have emerged, The banana inflorescence has three types of flowers. The fruit originate from female flowers that are produced firs, followed by hhermaphrodites, and lastly male flowers, The postharvest operations required for bananas include trans- portation to packinghouse, dehanding, washing to remove dirt and latex, disease control, packaging, transportation to matket, ripening, and retail sale (ig. 31.1), HARVESTING Bunches are examined about 3 months before harvest. Those that hhave completed their female (fruit-producing) stage have thetr buds removed to prevent further floral development. One or two apical hhands are also removed at this time to promote development of the remainder, Removed buds may be consumed or discarded. Each bunch is covered with a polyethylene bag. The top of the bags is secured 10 the stalk and a colored ribbon is attached to the end of the bag or inflorescence. Diflerent colored ribbons are used each week asa ready record of bunch age. The polyethylene bag protects the bananas from leaf scarring and keeps dust off, and the bag, may be impregnated with an insect Daring fruit development, the bunches may require props to support the inflorescence weight (fig. 31.2). Sometimes a pseudlostem is provid! ed with twine guys from the erown to the bases of nearby pscudostems, Bananas are harvested green at about the 75% mature stage and are ripened in market areas, More-mature fingers often split and tend to be mealy. The maturity at which bananas are harvested depends an the time required to get them to market. Fruit shipped from Cemrat America 10 Europe are usually harvested less manure than those shipped to North America. Of course, a penalty of lost finger weight is paid when bunches are harvested before fingers are fully developed. Expanded use of controlied atmospheres (CA) during transport to prevent ripening has facilitated harvesting more-mature bananas regard less of the intended market. The sizes and shapes of finger sections at various stages of maturity are illustrated in figure 31.3, ‘A harvest, crews pass through the plantation, usually at 3- or 4 intervals, selecting bunches for harvest. Colored ribbons provide infor ‘mation regarding age. The diameter (caliper) of fruit is also monitored Harvesting and field handling vary with location, However, harvest ing is usually « two-person operation. The cutter makes a cut with a aide,Cee ae ee naaeee eee rere reece a se 306 cunerer as Figure 31.1 Postharvest handling of bananas. Harvesting (cutting of bunches} Tiansprt by coblevay a other means to packing ston ‘Accumulation in shaded holding area Frits checked for rae lle of rgers size. freedom from defects). nd vdeo Processing Fresh market grades gate tir banana pure) | cc anes Float hands in vate reduce bruising ail remove ates ‘Remove lal lcs from fingertips, separate hands ito clusters (41010 fingers eae), and emoue any damaged, defommad, or leis Fingers Remove clusters trom water tank, label with brand name “Tea witha postharvest funaicde (benzimidazole (usualy TZ or imazalil ‘and an antioxdant alu = aluminum potassium slate) Fock nto 182-49 (404 boxes lined with polyethylene fin Packed boxes aa transport and loaded int: onainers wo be oe ail Yoaded aboard ships ors | ___Reieated tips ols (40,000 ta 200,000 bases each) “Transport at 14° to 15°C (57° to 89°F) to ports of importing countries Unload and anspor dsisuton enters Ethylene ripening teatment etal markets machete, partially severing the pseudostem at about its midpoint, & backer, positioned tunder the buneh, eatches and braces the Figure 31.2 Banana frit bunches ace enclosed in plastic bags, and ‘uys are run to prevent pseudastems from falling bunch firmly. The cumter then severs the bunch from the pseudostem, just below the Dasal hands; TRANSPORTATION TO PACKING STATION Many banana plantations are equipped with a system of cableways. A backer carries a cu baneh to the nearest cableway. where the bunch is atiached by its base to 2 roller on the cable, The bunches are separated by spacet bars to prevent contact. A train of up 10 75 or 150 bunches of 30 t0 60 kg (66 10 132 Ib) each forms anc is pulled along the cableway to the packing area by a small trac tor. A tractor that hangs from the cable has the advantage of not requiring roadvvays or bridges to cross drainage ditches. Bananas waiting to be packed are held in the shade to prevent sunburn (Fig. 31.4) In Queensland and New South Wales, Ausiralia, winter temaperatures limit banana production to sunny, northern exposures. olien on very sieep hills. Some cablew tems have been installed that use gravity a8 the means of locomotion. Otherwise, bunch. cs accumulate at roadways that have been bulldozed across the slopes. Bunches are placed on small trucks or on tratlers, usualy two or three bunches deep, Padding is placed on the vehicle bed and between bunches to Jinit damage, Low tire pressure an! low speed during transit are important injury avoidanes measures. In some operations, the hands are separat ed from the bunch soon alter harvest and placed on a padded vehiele hed with pads between the hands to minimize abrasion dam- age during transport to the packinghouseFigure 31.3, Changes in size and shape of benana fruit sections at various stages of maturity Maturity stages of banana fruit A Tweequaners —Ughtfull Ful teequaners fal tree quarters Figure 31.4 ‘train of banana stems moves to the packinghouse by aerial wamuray, Ropicat Faults 387 Figure 31.5 Inspecting banana stems. Figure 31.6 ‘A.worker cuts the hands fom banana stems. Hands are placed in water to clean the fruit and avoid latex stains PACKINGHOUSE OPERATIONS Upon emering the packinghouse, bananas ate checked for finger fullness and length, and for blemishes from leaf rub, inseet activ- ity. pathogens, and handling bruises (ig 31.5), Those not meeting a fresh fruit grade can be ripened and processed as puree, sold on secondary markets or discarded. Most bananas from tie American tropics ate shipped as hands in fiberboard enttons Hands are removed from the stalk by the dehancler, using a sharp eurved knife (ig 31.6). When the hand is cut away; latex flows from the wound. Ifthe latex is allowed to coat the surface ofthe fingers, the resulting stains seriously detract from appearance Consequently, the hands are immediately placed in water to coagulate the exuded latex and reduce staining (fig. 31.7). Dust and dict are also removed at the same time. Selectors at the dehandling tank remove dead floral parts still adhering to the end of the fingers and sort out undersized, damaged, deformed, and blemished fingers. Large hands are divided into smaller clusters to facilitate packing and provide a convenient sit for the consumer. The bananas may be floated im a second water tank for an additional 10 or 15 minutes to permit fatex exudation, The water tank is a potential source of jous disease problems, Fungus spores on dead Moral parts may accumulate in the