Determining Effective Short-Duration Cold-Dip Conditions to Slow Ripening of Banana Cultivar GL3-2 in Storage

This study determined suitable parameters for a short-duration cold-dipping pretreatment designed to suppress physiological and biochemical activities and thereby delay ripening of banana cultivar ‘GL3-2‘during storage. Immediately after harvest, fruits were dipped in 0.01% azoxystrobin + 0.5% CaCl?. In Experiment 1, fruit were treated for 3 min at 4 ± 1 °C, 7 ± 1 °C, or 10 ± 1 °C and stored at 15 ± 1 °C. In Experiment 2, fruit were treated at 7 ± 1 °C for 1, 3, 5, or 7 min. Peel color (ΔE*ab), decay, respiration rate, ethylene production rate, and starch content were monitored every 6 days. The 7 ± 1 °C pretreatment consistently moderated quality loss relative to 4 °C (risk of chilling-related discoloration) and 10 °C (weaker suppression). For duration at 7 °C, 3–5 min minimized visible deterioration (e.g., lower ΔE*ab and decay after day 18) and tempered gas-exchange responses without the over-suppression observed at 7 min. Overall, short-duration cold-dipping at 7 ± 1 °C for 3–5 min provided the best balance between ripening control and avoidance of chilling-related disorders, extending shelf life while preserving normal subsequent ripening capacity.