HARVEST REMINDERS 



Wil Ham J . Bramlage 

 Department of Plant and Soil 



Sciences 



With the arrival of the busiest part of the harvest season, 

 fruit growers enter a critical stage of the year. Conditions and 

 events occurring now can be decisive factors in determining the 

 quality of fruit that will be marketed. These critical factors in- 

 clude 1) the weather conditions during the harvest season; 2) the 

 maturity of the fruit when harvested; 3) the carefulness with which 

 fruit is harvested, handled, and stored. Some of the ways these 

 factors influence postharvest life are as follows. 



Weather conditions 



apples can have 

 this time is ge 

 centuates labor 

 most always lea 

 vest of overmat 

 fruit since hig 

 for the formati 

 high temperatur 

 susceptible to 

 care must be ta 

 them will be gr 

 from scald duri 

 sitive cultivar 



If t 

 high q u a 1 

 too, howe 

 cessi vely 

 October, 

 year, an 

 whole set 

 Will they 

 strated h 

 associ ate 

 Dr. R.M. 

 State Hor 



very diff 

 should no 

 ter on th 

 posed of 



he wea 

 i ty f r 

 ver . 

 , so t 

 The u 

 early 

 of di 

 recov 

 ow few 

 d wi th 

 Smock 

 t. Soc 

 i c u 1 1 

 t be p 

 e tree 

 as qui 



many 

 neral 



prob 

 ds to 

 ure f 

 h tem 

 on of 

 es pr 

 seal d 

 ken i 

 eater 

 ng an 

 s as 



ther 

 ui t a 

 Pro! 

 hat m 

 se of 

 f reez 

 ff icu 

 er? 

 answ 

 free 

 of Co 

 iety 



The weath 



effects 

 ly detrime 

 1 ems by sh 



increased 

 ruit. It 

 perature , 



the red p 

 ior to har 

 In year 

 n applying 

 Even so 

 d followin 

 Cortland a 



er th 

 n f ru 

 ntal . 

 orten 



frui 

 al so 

 espec 

 igmen 

 vest 

 s wit 



seal 

 , the 

 g sto 

 nd Ro 



at sho 

 it qua 

 It m 

 ing th 

 t drop 

 leads 

 ially 

 ts in 

 in som 

 h hot 

 d inhi 

 growe 

 rage, 

 me . 



rtly 

 1 i ty . 

 ature 

 e har 

 loss 

 to po 

 at ni 

 the f 

 e way 

 harve 

 bi tor 

 r can 

 espec 



prece 

 Hot 

 s fru 

 vest 

 es as 

 orer 

 ght, i 

 rui t. 



make 

 st se 

 s , as 



expe 

 ial ly 



des h 



weat 

 it ra 

 perio 



wel 1 



color 



s not 



Fur 



appl 

 asons 



the 

 ct hi 



with 



to pr 

 i c k e d 

 than 

 ckly 



I s CO 

 re CO 

 nged 

 uch f 



Alar 

 e can 



I I qu 

 How s 

 ers w 

 zing 

 rnel 1 



199 



edict 



whil 



off 



as po 



ol du 

 n s i d e 

 cool 

 ruit 



acce 



be d 

 estio 

 houl d 

 e hav 

 of ap 



Univ 

 -203) 



the 

 e sti 

 the t 

 s s i b 1 



ring ha 

 rably b 

 tempera 

 is stil 

 ntuates 

 isastro 

 ns aris 

 they b 

 e to th 

 pies ha 

 ersi ty 

 . His 

 consequ 

 11 froz 

 ree; an 

 e. 



rvest 

 etter 

 ture 

 1 in 

 this 

 us . 

 e. H 

 e han 

 ese q 

 ve be 

 (1970 



time 



Th 



may d 



the 



dang 

 If fr 

 ow ba 

 died"? 

 uesti 

 en re 



Proc 



concl 

 ences 

 en; r 

 d fro 



, the pro 

 ere are d 

 clay matu 

 rchard we 

 er. As w 

 uit are f 

 dly are t 

 Last ye 

 ons. The 

 cently di 

 eedings , 



usion 



of f 



ecove 



zen f 



s were th 

 reezing; 

 ry is pro 

 ruit shou 



arvest of 

 her during 

 pidly, ac- 

 d and al- 

 as to bar- 

 ing of 

 favorable 

 thermore, 

 es more 

 , greater 

 need for 

 gher losses 

 such sen- 



spects for 

 angers here 

 ration ex- 

 11 into 

 e saw last 

 rozen, a 

 hey damaged? 

 ar demon- 

 probl ems 

 scussed by 

 New York 

 at it is 



frui t 

 bably bet- 

 Id be dis- 



Fruit maturit 



ff 



Maturity is the stage of development of the fruit 

 too immature at harvest, fruit will never develop 

 flavor or color and will be highly susceptible to shriv- 

 and brown core after harvest. If overmature at har- 

 age quickly and will be highly susceptible to in- 

 and rot after harvest. How do you identify ma- 



at harvest. 



top quality 



el ing, scald, 



vest, fruit will 



ternal breakdowns 



turity? Pressure test, color (especially undercolor), abscission, 



