Prevention of Postharvest Stress Cracks in Husked Coconuts during Transit1

Abstract

Abstract In a stratified shipment of coconuts (Cocos nucifera L.), stress cracks occurred more frequently in the top of the load. Stress cracks and coconut weight loss were directly related. Of the total number of cracked coconuts, 81% occurred within the top section of the load, 10% in the middle, and 9% in the bottom section; while 43% of the total weight loss occurred within the top section, 27% in the middle, and 30% in the bottom section. The average percentages of cracked coconuts for each treatment over all 3 sections were 13.1% for the nonwaxed control, 5.2% for carnauba wax-treated, and 0.4% for paraffin wax-treated.