As any grower knows, strawberries are very susceptible to attack 

 by decay organisms. The most common strawberry fruit rot is gray mold, 

 and the fungus that causes this mold _is present in every strawberry 

 field at all times . Although the fungus can penetrate the unbroken skin, 

 any injury inflicted during harvesting and handling favors the develop- 

 ment of gray mold. In addition to careful handling, practices that will 

 reduce rot are the application of fungicides in the field-/, careful 

 picking so as to exclude all decayed berries from the packages, and prop- 

 er cooling of the berries. 



Let's consider picking a little more closely. For maximum quality, 

 fruits should be picked when they are full-ripe yet firm, but market 

 requirements may dictate earlier picking. The berries should always be 

 picked with the caps on, and any berry with any sign of rot on it should 

 always be thrown away . The picking operation should be closely super- 

 vised, for keep in mind that picker damage can nullify all other attempts 

 to maintain fruit quality. 



The most important way to slow down spoilage of strawberries is to 

 remove field heat and maintain the fruit at a low temperature. Field 

 heat will build up rapidly in berries exposed to the sun. Harvested 

 berries should always be placed in the shade, but should also be taken 

 from the field as quickly as possible. A slight breeze will greatly in- 

 crease the warming of berries even in the shade. An air velocity of 

 just 5 miles an hour (a very mild wind) warms the fruit nearly to air 

 temperature in 20 to 30 minutes. Get the berries under refrigeration 

 soon after harvest . 



How important is temperature? When the temperature of strawberries 

 is reduced from 50°F. to 32°, their life expectancy is increased two-to 

 four-fold. If the temperature of the berries reaches 85-90°F. , as can 

 happen when picked berries are left in the open field, the market life 

 of the fruit is reduced to only a few hours . For maximum life, straw- 

 berries should be kept as close to 32°F. as is practical. And the fas- 

 ter you can get the temperature down, the longer the berries will keep. 

 Forcing cold air over the berries, once they are under refrigeration, 

 will greatly reduce their cooling time. 



The problems of handling strawberries during marketing are similar 

 to those during harvesting. Tlie berries must be handled gently for as 

 they get older they are injured even more easily than at harvest. And 

 they must be kept cool. If you expect to hold the berries longer than 

 one day, keep them at a temperature below 40°F., preferably at 32°. And 

 if displayed berries cannot be kept refrigerated, display only a couple 

 hours' supply at a time. 



Following are some specific suggestions for getting your strawber- 

 ries to the consumer with the minimum loss of quality: 



1. Pick the berries when they are well-colored, but firm. 



—See "Pest Control Chart for Strawberries", available from Mailing Room, 

 University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, or your County 

 Agent 



