Relating Ethylene Production and Banana Ripeness

Abstract

Does fruit ripeness have an effect on the amount of ethylene produced? In this experiment, ethylene production between unripe and ripe bananas was investigated by looking at the ripening speeds of tomatoes exposed to them. Ripening, a process that affects color and texture in fruit over time (Alexander, 2002) is promoted by ethylene, a natural gas produced by fruits (Khan, 2017). Ripening speeds were measured through the percentage of red color in the tomatoes over a two-week period, with the hypothesis stating that if unripe bananas produce more ethylene than ripe bananas, then there will be a greater change in red color percentage in the tomatoes over a two-week period. Statistical tests showed that there was no difference in the means of red color percentage between the tomatoes paired with unripe or ripe bananas, and therefore, there was insufficient evidence to suggest a difference in the amount of ethylene produced by unripe and ripe bananas.