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This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different packaging materials on shelf life of banana (Musa sp. L.) cv. Harichal under different conditions. A laboratory experiment was laid out at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, School for Bioscience and Biotechnology, Department of Applied Plant Science (Horticulture), Vidya-Vihar, Rae-bareli Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh from the period 2008-2009. The packaging materials were wooden box, plastic bag, polysheet and open air as a control. Packaging maintained the peel and the pulp thickness, firmness, dry matter and pulp to peel ratio was kept lower. On the basis of above findings it is concluded that the quality grade of banana fruits with nutritional and storage properties, Cool chamber+Brown paper and Cool chamber+Tissue paper were found good for improving significantly. The fruit length, fruit width, cumulative physiological loss in weight and ascorbic acid of banana fruits. The treatment T2 (CC+Brown paper), T5 (AT+Brown paper) are well for TSS. Treatment T2 (CC+Brown paper) is good for ascorbic acid. Treatment T4 (AT+Tissue paper) is useful for reducing sugars and treatment Ts (AT+Brown paper) is good for total sugars. These treatments were found to be good for 3 days of storage both at ambient and cool chamber conditions respectively. Fruits are edible at 7 days of storage under ZECC conditions and after 7 days they become pulpy and are infected by fungus. Thus, it can be concluded that packaging of banana fruits in high density and low density polyethylene bags resulted in longer shelf life and improved quality of the produce followed by packaging in dried banana leaf and teff straw. A randomized block design was employed with three treatments and replicated four times to arrange the experimental units in the lab. Harichal variety were harvested by hand in the month of March and obtained from village Itaunja (Bakshi Ka Talab) of District Lucknow. Healthy and uniform fruits were washed to remove adhering dirt and dust and dried in air and kept in plastic crates for packaging and storage to be used in the experiment. On the other hand, wooden box combined with straw was the best storage material to ripen banana fruit faster. Producers, traders or consumers may use the technology in order to get quicker ripening of banana fruits.
Key words: Effect, different packaging, shelf life, banana fruit, Musa sp., cv. Harichal, polythene bags, wooden boxes and ZECC