Articles
BRINING CHERRY MECHANICAL HARVEST: FRUIT MATURITY AND MACHINE FACTORS INVOLVED IN STEM RETENTION AND BRUISING
Article number
468_95
Pages
741 – 748
Language
Abstract
In efforts to reduce the percentage of fruits lost due to bruising incidental to mechanically harvested ‘Royal Ann’ (syn. ‘Napoleon’)cherries, many factors were measured, including machine design, shaking forces and frequencies, tree canopy structures, fruit maturity stages, etc; in 20 commercial orchards over three seasons.
The main effects were fruit maturity (as measured by stem-fruit removal force, FRF) both for percent stems as well as for fruit firmness, pattern of shake on the tree (offset reciprocal shakers with heavier weights, counter-rotating and lower frequencies were best), length of time of individual tree shakes (shorter shake times were better), and time of day when harvest was done.
As a result of these studies, brining losses have been reduced from 25–30% to around 3%, and percent stem-on cherries can be harvested as needed based on fruit-stem removal force as a predictor.
The main effects were fruit maturity (as measured by stem-fruit removal force, FRF) both for percent stems as well as for fruit firmness, pattern of shake on the tree (offset reciprocal shakers with heavier weights, counter-rotating and lower frequencies were best), length of time of individual tree shakes (shorter shake times were better), and time of day when harvest was done.
As a result of these studies, brining losses have been reduced from 25–30% to around 3%, and percent stem-on cherries can be harvested as needed based on fruit-stem removal force as a predictor.
Publication
Authors
D.G. Richardson, R.L. Stebbins, D. Kirk, D. Booster, L. Jensen, R. Cain
Keywords
Prunus avium, processed fruit quality, shaking forces, fruit-pedicel removal force, soluble solids, maraschino process
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