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Banana Fruit Bunch Ripening Cover

FACE SILVER SIDE TOWARDS SUN

The silver side reduces sunburn by reflecting the uv rays – make sure the silver colour faces the sun.

Assists with ripening

Utilising a Banana fruit bunch cover can enhance the quality and yield of the fruit, and often decrease the time needed for ripening. The fruit emits a gas that accelerates the ripening of nearby fruit. There are two primary methods for ripening the fruit:

1. Ripening the fruit on the tree delivers a delightful sweet flavor, so harvest a few at a time while allowing the rest to ripen.
2. Commercial growers pick the fruit when the lowest fruit is rounded but still green. Ripen them by storing in a cool, dry area alongside other ripe bananas.

Adding covers can increase bunch weight. Banana fruit bunch bags are widely used across Australia for banana cultivation. One noted benefit of using a cover is that it can boost bunch weight by an average of 20-30%, as evidenced by studies on NSW farms.

BAG IS OPEN AT BOTH ENDS – The bag has openings at both ends – tie the top loosely with a zip-tie or string, etc. and leave the bottom open for improved airflow.

PROTECT FROM DAMAGE

Banana Bunch Covers help protect the fruit’s skin from wind, rubbing leaves, insects, bats and birds as the fruit matures. Trapping the ripening gas inside, the covers reduce the attraction of bats and birds compared to uncovered bunches.

Banana Fruit Bunch Ripening Cover

Bagging Tips

Two key bagging techniques exist for bananas.

Typically, once the fruit bunch starts to form and the ‘fingers’ (developing bananas) begin to curl upwards, it’s time to apply a bag after the bracts shielding the hands have dropped and the flower ends have solidified. or In cases where Fruit Bats or birds pose a threat, place the bag soon after the ‘bell’ appears. This method requires more upkeep as the bracts need to be cleared from the cover as they fall to ensure proper protection and ripening.

Banana Fruit Bunch Ripening Cover

Tying the cover on

Secure the blue banana fruit bunch cover to the stalk, just above the first hand of fruit. Ensure that no water drips through the knot onto the hands, which could lead to sunburn on the fruit. The cover should remain open at the bottom to allow good air circulation and extend below the last hand of fruit.

BAG SIZE

Flat measurement of the banana fruit bunch cover blue bag is 1220mm x 720mm. The thickness of the bags is approximately 50uM.

UV PROTECTION

Our bags include superior UV protection (unlike some competitors), offering the following benefits:

• Enhanced protection of the fruit against UV damage.
• Increased durability under strong sunlight.

Given Australia’s intense UV radiation levels, we have designed this blue banana fruit bunch cover specifically to mitigate the effects of fruit degradation caused by UV exposure.

When to Harvest Fruit

To prevent all the fruit from ripening simultaneously, periodically remove a hand of ripening bananas. The gas released by the ripening fruit accelerates the ripening of the remaining bunch. Alternatively, you can harvest the fruit while still unripe and allow it to ripen indoors in a paper bag. Leaving ripe fruit on the tree may attract Flying Foxes, which could harm the bunch. Using a cover can significantly reduce this risk.

Banana Fruit Bunch Ripening Cover

WHY CHOOSE DIFFERENT COLOURS?

For non-commercial growers, the colour of the banana bunch cover likely makes no significant difference. However, commercial farmers use different colours to track the timing of covering and anticipated harvest dates.

“Colors act as filters for photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), the spectrum between 400 and 700 nm crucial for photosynthesis. The industry typically uses blue or clear covers. Blue covers transmit 73% of PAR wavelengths, while clear ones allow 93%. Despite lower transmission, blue covers are preferable as they prevent UV damage while avoiding heat burns.” (according to a Promusa article on Banana Bagging)

Is a double-layered banana cover more effective?

Research by NSW DPI AGFACT suggests that there is no substantial benefit in using a double-layered (imported style) bag over a single-layered one.

Handy Hint:

Removing some of the smaller fruit hands at the bunch’s end can improve the overall quality of the remaining fruit.