Effect of static magnetic field on ripening of Thai cavendish bananas

This study aimed to investigate the effects of static magnetic fields on the ripening of Thai cavendish banana fruits. The cavendish bananas were received from an agriculturist in Kanchanadit District, Surat Thani province, Thailand. NeFeB magnets were used to generate the maximum static magnetic fields of 300 mT and 600 mT. The ripening of the banana fruits was recorded in terms of weight loss, color change and firmness after exposure to a magnetic field. The results showed that the weight loss of the banana fruit when exposed to magnetic field was higher than in the not exposed control group. Increasing the magnetic field strength to 600 mT increased the weight loss further from that with 300 mT. The effects of magnetic field on weight loss of bananas were statistically significant, but there were no statistically significant differences in color or firmness from the control group. (paper)