EFFECTS OF PICKING FREQUENCY AND THE RATE OF FRUIT DEVELOPMENT ON THE YIELD AND STORAGE LIFE OF CUCUMBERS

The effects of the frequency of picking on the crop yield and the storage life of the fruit were investigated. The effect of the duration of the period from flowering to harvestable fruit (rate of fruit development) on the storage life of the fruit was also studied.

In order to determine the effects of harvest frequency, the fruit was picked over at four different frequencies per week (3, 2, 1 and ½ times) during the months of May and June.

During the periods March/April (experiment 1) and June/July (experiment 2), the rate of fruit development and subsequent post-harvest life were determined for a large number of cucumbers.

Depending on the harvest frequency, some of the cucumbers in experiment 2 (June/July) were picked late by 2 to 12 days. The effects of leaving the fruit on the plants too long could be studied in this way.

The kg yields were the same for all the picking frequencies. With the longer harvest intervals, there was a decrease in the number of fruits picked and an increase in the average fruit weight. At the same time, the percentage Grade I cucumbers decreased. If the storage life of the cucumbers which were picked three times a week was 100, then the storage life of the cucumbers harvested 2, 1 and ½ times a week could be assessed at 96, 80 and 65 respectively.

As the fruit took longer to develop, so the storage life became shorter. In the March/April period, one day extra for fruit development amounted to a reduction in storage life by 0.2 day, or 0.5 day during the June/ July period.

The storage life was reduced if harvestable cucumbers were picked late. During June/July, the rate of deterioration of the cucumbers on the plants was as great as that of cucumbers stored in a room at 20°C and 80% r.h.

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