Abstract: Banana fruits were treated with 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid or naphthalenacetic acid solutions at concentrations ranging from 10-6 to 10-3 M. The treated fruits were either further anointed or not with coconut oil or palm kernel oil. Untreated fruits were used as controls. Treatments with solutions of both types of auxins at concentrations >=10-4 M strongly accelerated the ripening of bananas whereas treatments with solutions of these hormones at 10-6 M concentration induced an increase of the shelf-life of bananas. Although singly treatments with coconut oil or palm kernel oil also had retarding effects on the ripening, simultaneous treatments with auxins used at concentrations >=10-4 M and any of the two oils rather accelerated this process in banana fruits. Treatments with an auxin alone or in combination with an oil stimulated the decrease in water content in the peel from stage 1 to stage 3 of ripeness. Those treatments that prolonged the shelf-life of bananas subsequently induced a delay in the decrease in water content in the peel from stage 3 of ripening upwards. These results indicated that the role of ethylene in the regulation of ripening process in banana fruits may be modulated by the endogenous concentration of auxin.