MINERAL DISTRIBUTION IN THE FRUITS OF THE PLANTAIN PLANT (MUSA-PARADISIACA) IN RELATION TO MODE AND DEGREE OF MATURATION

Mineral levels and moisture contents of Musa paradisiaca fruits (pulp and peel) have been monitored with time of development as fruits remai ned on the plant and as fruits ripened off the plant. Fruit bunches sa mpled from day 90 of bunch emergence had higher mineral levels than th ose sampled from day 60. The exceptions were P, Zn, and Cu whose level s were lower. Mg, Fe, K, Zn, and Cu increased in the peel to a maximum at day 96 before decreasing while in the pulp they kept increasing th roughout. Al, Na, N and Mn increased in the pulp, reached a maximum at day 96, and decreased rapidly thereafter, whereas in the peel they in creased steadily throughout. This is attributed to translocation of so me of these minerals from the peel to the pulp and vice versa in addit ion to movements of such minerals from other parts of the plant to the fruits during growth. Moisture levels decreased for bunches that rema ined on the plants but the peel consistently had more moisture than th e pulp. The point of minimum moisture content is concluded to correspo nd to the point of maximum maturation for these fruits (90 days after bunch emergence) and is here recommended as harvesting time. Maturatio n ripening was faster for bunches harvested from the plants than those on the plants, the rate increasing in the order of increasing injurie s on the bunch.