Acceleration and Delay of Ripening in Banana Fruit Tissue by Gibberellic Acid

Dipping of whole banana fruit in aqueous solutions of gibberellic acid (GAs) at concentrations of 10-L 10-2M delays ripening. In contrast, treatment of banana fruit slices by vacuum infiltration with GA3 at concentrations ranging from 10-6 to 10-2M accelerates ripening. These contrasting effects appear to be related to the differences in distribution of GA3 in the tissue, resulting from the two methods of treatment.