Resumen
- Diagnostic or postharvest handling or papaya (Carica papaya) in Paquera, Puntarenas. A postharvest handling diagnostic was carried out, through direct inquiry of 46 papaya producers in Paquera, Puntarenas. The inquiry included the following variables: farm's size, varieties, harvest instruments, time and system for harvest, maturity index, transport, packing, handling and maturation in storage. It was obtained that 100% of the surveyed were small area producers. The maturity index is the number of yellow bands on the fruit surface, and it isn't a definite criterion. The majority of producers pick the fruit betwren'5:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m., it helps to preserve the final quality of the fruit. The instrument for harvest more utilized is a long pole with the top end covered with rubber. The 60.87% of the producers don't classify the fruit. A 56.50% of the surveyed growers employed bulk transport, usually between 3 and 4 layers of fruit on the bottom of the truck's bed. This isn't convenient because it reduces the end quality due to compression damage. The ripening induction of the fruit using chemical products was performed by the 58.70% of the producers, with doses of Ethephon between 0.6 and 30 cc/l kg of fruit and with storage period between 0.5 and 4.0 days. They reported losses between 5 and 25%, mainly due to diseases (fungus), size, unripe or overripe fruit and mechanical damages