ABSTRACT
chayote, Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw., is in one of the more important genera species in the Cucurbitaceae (Whitaker and Davis, 1962). The commercial importance of squashes (Cucurbita), cucumbers and melons (Cucumis), watermelons (Citrullis), bottle gourds (Lagenaria), and sponge gourds (Luffa), has resulted in much attention directed to these crops. In comparison, chayote is relatively little known. Used by the Aztecs in pre-Hispanic Mexico, chayote most likely originated in Mexico and Guatemala (Newstrom, 1986). It is an inexpensive staple food used mostly in Latin America (Leon, 1968), but it is cultivated widely throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Commercial production occurs in several countries including Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and Italy (Purseglove, 1968; Lopes, 1979; Casseres, 1980). Commercial export of chayote fruits has increased dramatically in the last 15 years, particularly in Costa Rica where vegetative propagation has produced standardized fruits for the market.
