BanaTech validation and implications of maturity at harvest on the postharvest quality and utilization of saba/cardaba (Musa acuminata x balbisiana) banana
2023
Arca, M.E.A. | Fabro-Realin, D.M.A. | Garcia, G.R. | Elleva, L.I.F. | Ramos, E.R. | Aggangan, N.S. | Paelmo, R.F. | Hao, A. | Aguilar, E.A.
BanaTech is an application developed under Project SARAI to determine the potential harvest date for Lakatan and Saba/Cardaba bananas. It uses temperature models and growing degree days (GDD) to predict the optimum harvest date. To assess its accuracy, a validation protocol was implemented, comparing the predicted harvest period and phenophase progression with actual observations. Sample Saba/Cardaba (Musa acuminata x balbisiana) trees were monitored from flower emergence to bunch maturity, and BanaTech's predictions were matched against the actual developments on the field. The validation revealed that BanaTech has a high accuracy rate of 90.96% for predicting harvest dates in terms of calendar days and 80.12% for GDD predictions. Fruit quality assessment (FQA) was also conducted on harvested bunches to determine postharvest quality differences. It was found that bananas harvested at physiological maturity and those harvested a week earlier showed no significant variation in ripening speed and quality attributes including TSS, firmness, and pulp pH. Recommending a window of weeks to harvest instead of an exact date is suggested for further improvement of the application. Furthermore, when bananas are harvested at the right maturity stage, their subsequent biochemical changes can be more precisely predicted through color change deter- mined by the color index (CI). For Saba/Cardaba bananas, a mature fruit at Color Index 1 is best suited for banana chips processing, up to CI 2 is suitable for making cooking flour, CI 4 to CI 5 is preferred for fresh consumption, bananacue, and 'maruya', and finally, CI 6 with high sugar content can be used for vinegar. These findings underscore the importance of a decision-aid tool like BanaTech for farmers to determine the optimal harvest time, maximizing their economic growth, and catering to the specific needs of processors and consumers of their produce.
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