Influence of LDPE and HDPE Packaging with Perforations on Banana Ripening and Postharvest Quality

Banana (Musa spp. ‘Grand Naine’) is a climacteric fruit prone to rapid postharvest deterioration, necessitating effective storage interventions. This study investigated the influence of perforated low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) packaging on the ripening physiology and quality attributes of bananas over ten days. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was used with five treatments including control, LDPE (24 and 48 holes) and HDPE (24 and 48 holes), and four replication per treatment. Fruits were exposed to ethylene (24 hours at 14–20°C, 85–90% RH) and subsequently monitored for ten days at ambient temperature. Quality attributes such as peel color, physiological loss in weight (PLW), firmness, pulp-to-peel ratio, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), TSS/TA ratio, and pH were assessed. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and mean comparisons performed with Least Significant Difference (LSD) tests at a 5% significance level. LDPE with 24 perforations minimized PLW (4.56%) and delayed ripening, while HDPE 24 holes best retained firmness (0.89 kg/cm2). Although TSS and TA trends were similar across treatments, LDPE and HDPE maintained higher pH values, indicating moderated acid metabolism. The TSS/TA ratio increased over time in all treatments, consistent with progressive ripening. LDPE 24 perforations offered the most balanced microenvironment, optimizing water retention and gas exchange. These findings support its application for enhancing banana shelf life and quality in subtropical storage conditions.