Finger drop is a physiological disorder wherein ripe fruits readily fall off from the crown.
It is associated with the weakening and softening of the pedicel during ripening which causes individual fruits to separate or dislodge very easily from the crown (Paull 1996; Dadzie
and Orchard 1997).
Since ‘Cuarenta Dias’ is marketed in bunches, finger drop incidence, especially during the
advanced stages of ripening, may physically trigger premature fruit fall at the lower hands of the bunch.
Hands with detached fingers are also vulnerable to
microbial attack, thereby reducing their shelf-life, and
further lowering their market value.