Effects of bunch covering and bunch trimming on bananas in north Queensland

Abstract

The effect on yield and fruit quality of polyethylene bunch covers applied one week after abscission of the last female flower bract was investigated with plant crop bananas in north Queensland. Bunch trimming by removal of the distal one or two hands of the bunch was investigated in conjunction with bunch covering in one experiment. In a second experiment the same bunch trimming treatments were applied in a ratoon crop without bunch covering treatments. Bunch covering increased fruit weight per bunch by 4% and decreased the period from bunch emergence to harvest by 5 days. Bunch covering increased finger length of_ fruit at the proximal end of the bunch only. Yield was reduced by 5% by trimming one hand per bunch in both experiments and by 15% and 13% by trimming two hands in Experiments 1 and 2 respectively. These yield declines occurred without an accompanying improvement in fruit grades. Thus bunch trimming was unprofitable in north Queensland.