The objective of this study was to explain the peel and pulp differences between 'Sunrise Solo' papaya and its mutant 'Golden', and to develop maturation scales for the cultivars. Fruits were harvested from commercial farming located at Linhares-ES, Brazil, at seven different maturation stages based on the peel colour. It was difficult to classify the 'Golden' papaya through visual colour scale due to its lighter coloration. The 'Sunrise Solo' papaya had higher total chlorophyll and the a and b content. Thus, this cultivar has reduced carotenoids content on initial stage and in other two stages (4" and 6" maturation stages). Besides, the colour change was more evident in 'Sunrise Solo'. The total chlorophyll and carotenoid ratio was higher in 'Sunrise Solo' papaya up to the sixth stage. Thereby, it is recommended careful management for the mutant, specially in relation to the harvest point, due to the difficulty to distinguish among its maturation stages.
Chlorophyll; carotenoid; Carica papaya L.; Maturation scale
