Abstract
Cultural and postharvest practices of banana grown without chemicals (hereafter referred to as “non-chemical bananas”) were surveyed in relation to fruit quality problems in the Philippines from April to May 1998 and September 1999. Farmer growing non-chemical bananas need to learn the importance of proper cultural management practices in their farms in relation to the occurrence of postharvest diseases. Inadequate classification of fruit maturity for the export market leads to a significant wastage of harvested fruits. Exposure to harsh environment, including careless loading, unloading and overloading, insufficient and poor cushioning, and poor truck suspension system and road conditions, seem to be the factors causing physical damage to and stress on non-chemical bananas. Limited source of water for washing bananas, unsanitary conditions at the packing centers and weak packing materials appear to be related to the high incidence of postharvest diseases in non-chemical bananas. Selection of good fruits, crown re-trimming and re-boxing of non-chemical bananas at the re-packing centers in Japan were performed to improve the appearance of non-chemical bananas before delivery to the consumers.
