Soil water stress at bunch emergence increases maturity bronzing of banana fruit

Abstract

Banana plants cv. Williams which had bunches emerge during a period of soil water stress before rewatering developed significantly more severe maturity bronzing than the unstressed control. Maturity bronzing began developing on fruit at a much thinner finger diameter on water stressed bunches. There was a constant difference in finger diameter between the treatments for all maturity bronzing ratings. Water stress also reduced the greenlife of fruit at harvest. Soil water stress, while contributing, was not the only factor responsible for bronzing.