ISHS Acta Horticulturae 192: VIII International Symposium on Apricot Culture and Decline
POSSIBILITIES OF IMPROVING QUALITY OF MACHINE HARVESTED APRICOT |
| Author: | Gy. Szenci |
| Abstract:
Usually two kinds of claims arise against machine harvested apricot: heterogeneous, uneven stage of maturation, and high ratio or damaged fruits. According to our investigations the distribution of fruit within the differential stages of maturation can be improved even in the case of the apricot cultivar "Hungarian Best" by selecting the right time and duration of harvesting and regulating the maturation by chemicals. In optimal cases a ratio of 70 per cent of fruits of maturity required for canning may be obtained. The ratio of damaged fruits can also be reduced by choosing the right time of harvesting. If the average value of flesh firmness at harvest time is not less than 5 kg (measured with the small penetrometer finger), only 20 per cent of the fruits will be damaged substantially. If that value goes down to 3 kg, then the ratio of damaged fruits not fitting canning quality reaches 50 per cent. Another effective means of reducing fruit damages is to choose the right parameters of shaking (stroke length, frequency) which may result in a further 10 per cent increase of the ratio of uninjured fruits. | |
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