EFFECT OF HARVEST MATURITY ON STORAGE PERFORMANCE OF ‘HAYWARD’ KIWIFRUIT

Time of harvest profoundly affects the long term storage potential of kiwifruit.
Maturity measures based upon minimum soluble solids concentration have little relationship to fruit storage potential.
Fruit were harvested at 10 day intervals over a 40 day period from 6 northern California locations in 1988 and 1989. These were promptly cooled and air stored at 0C without ethylene and monitored at 0, 2, 4, and 6 months.
Late harvested fruit from all locations were consistently most firm after 6 months storage.
The pattern was similar among locations which produced consistently firm or soft fruit.
To assure a reasonable level of consumer acceptance after 6 months storage a higher soluble solids concentration at harvest must also be achieved.
Thus, a more advanced maturity is desirable for kiwifruit destined for long term storage.
Further work is needed to identify maturity markers for kiwifruit going into long term air storage.
At present it appears that a rule of "first harvested – first shipped" should be applied on all air stored kiwifruit.

II International Symposium on Kiwifruit

F. Gordon Mitchell, G. Mayer, W. Biasi

Soluble solids, ethylene, firmness

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1992.297.82