SOME DETAILS TO CONSIDER WHEN HARVESTING 

 AND STORING APPLES 



F.W. Southwick 

 Department of Plant and Soil Sciences 



Pre-Harvest Conditions 



Harvest 



Abnormally high temperatures during the few weeks prior 

 to harvest tend to make most apple varieties more suscep- 

 tible to storage scald in both regular and CA storage. 



Preharvest drop tends to be most severe when: (a) hot 

 weather prevails; (b) trees have a large crop; (c) foli- 

 age is damaged by drought, frost, insects and diseases; 

 (d) trees are deficient in boron, magnesium and potassium; 

 and (e) trees have a high nitrogen level. 



The preharvest drop control materials NAA and 2,4,5-TP 

 are effective when applied before damage to the foliage 

 occurs - not afterward. 



Apples continue to increase in size as long as they re- 

 main attached to the tree. A significant increase in 

 total bushels harvested is possible by delaying harvest 

 ,.,u^^^,,^^ ^..^u r.^^.A — ^,,4-1-^ your marketing strategy. Of 



whenever such action suits 



course, preharvest drop control, fruit maturity and sus- 

 ceptibility to various fruit disorders must be kept in 

 mind. 



There is no single optimum maturity date for a variety 

 during the picking season for fruit to be sold through- 

 out a 9-month marketing period. For example, the desired 

 maturity of apples for immediate post-harvest sale may 

 be much more advanced than for regular or CA storage. 



Mcintosh for CA storage shou 

 from 15-17 pounds and posses 

 color. Such fruit will be 1 

 scald and be in a firmer, ju 

 May than more mature, later 

 Mcintosh placed in regular s 

 ruary) will develop less sea 

 mature at later picking date 

 the less mature fruit is inv 

 scald regardless of whether 

 storage. 



Id range in 

 s at least 

 ess suscept 

 icier condi 

 picked appl 

 torage (unt 

 Id when the 

 s. With ot 

 ariably mor 

 it is held 



flesh firmness 

 50 percent red 

 ible to storage 

 tion in April and 

 es. However, 

 il January or Feb 



fruit is more 

 her varieties, 

 e susceptible to 

 in regular or CA 



