2.1. Produce
Cavendish bananas (Musa acuminata Colla., AAA group, Giant Cavendish subgroup, cv ‘Williams’) were obtained from three growing districts on the east coast of Australia spanning 2000 km of far north Queensland, Tweed Valley (northern New South Wales) and Coffs Harbour (mid-north coast of New South Wales). One carton of commercially mature, preclimacteric, non-ethylene treated Cavendish bananas from each growing region was obtained from the Sydney wholesale markets at three times at 6-monthly intervals. Lady Finger bananas (Musa acuminata × Musa balbisiana, AAB group, Pome subgroup) were obtained from the Tweed Valley on one occasion. Individual fingers from each box were selected at random, disregarding atypical, blemished and wing fruit, to allow three fingers to be assigned to each of the required number of treatment units. Each finger was placed in a 1.8 L glass jar.