Grosor del fruto de la última y segunda mano como criterio de cosecha en banano

the objective of this work was to determine the relationship between the thickness of the last and second hand of fruits as harvest criteria in banana. the measurements were done weekly (mm) from the second to the tenth weeks after flowering, and were transformed to thirty two inch/22 (tti), where 1 tti=0,794 mm for the calculation of regression equations for both fruit hands, considering or ignoring the bunch size. the thickness of the central fruit of the last hand was estimated from the central thickness of the second hand, and vice versa for the fruit thickness of the second hand. the values of thickness of the central fruit of the last hand (y values), obtained by applying a pre-established minimum value for the harvest of the second hand central fruit (x values: 43, 44 and 45 tti) were over 40 tti, regardless of the bunch size, and even, exceeded in most cases, 41 tti. conversely, applying the minimum values of the central fruit of the last hand predefined for harvest (x values: 39, 40 and 41 tti), were obtained thickness values of the central fruit of the second hand (y values) that did not exceed the value of 43 tti, except for x= 41 tti in bunches of 7 to 9 hands. the results clearly demonstrate that bunches harvested with the minimum requirement of packing in the last hand, would have less weight because they are formed by fruits of less thickness than those reaped by measuring the second hand.