EFFECT OF DIFFERENT WOOD ASH FOR RIPENING OF SABA BANANA (Musa acuminata x balbisiana)

This study was conducted from November to December 2021 at the area of Purok Nagkaisa, Barangay Magsaysay, Polomolok, and South Cotabato to evaluate the effects of different wood ash for ripening of Saba Banana. The experiment was carried out using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with five treatments replicated three times. The treatment used different wood ash for ripening. Treatments are the following: T1- Control (No application), T2- Ethepon, T3- Madre cacao wood ash, T4- Mango wood ash and T5- Ipil-Ipil wood ash.
The results positively showed that neither ethephon nor any of the wood ash treatments caused significantly adverse changes with regards to the physiological weight, total soluble solid content and the different sensory qualities (i.e., visual quality, taste, and texture) of saba banana. Results however indicated that none of the wood ash treatments shortened ripening duration to a significant degree, and was incomparable in effect to commercial (ethephon) treatment.
In summary, wood ash treatments were ineffective as ripening agents despite their compatibility with saba banana in terms of influence over physical and sensory features. It is therefore recommended to perform experimentation with enhanced methodology, especially in terms of treatment application and sensory parameter evaluation, to discern more conclusive results.