STONE FRUIT POSTHARVEST HANDLING Carlos H. Crisosto Department of Plant Sciences chcrisosto@ucdavis.edu UC Davis KAC CA Well Mature Nectarine and Peach Ground Color Guides of the California Tree Fruit Agreement (CTFA) M 1
Cherry Color Categories Full Dark Plum and Full Red Nectarines and Peaches Maximum Maturity Critical Bruising Threhold Bruising Potential Quality Harvest Hauling Packingline Transportation Retail handling Firmness G s 2
Developing Tree Ripe Standards Crisosto, et al., 2001. Journal American Pomological Society 55(2): 76-81 Proposed harvest maturity/quality indexes based on firmness and minimum SSC for different plum cultivars. Cultivar Firmness (lb) Minimum SSC (%) Blackamber 7-9 10-12 Z Fortune 7-9 11 Friar 7-9 11 Royal D. 7-9 11 Angeleno 6-9 12 Betty Anne 7-9 12 Z Blackamber plums with TA 0.60% after ripening have a high consumer acceptance. If plums have > 12.0% SSC, TA does not play a role. More Types of Tree Fruit About 70 varieties released per year. 50% of the releases are sub acid types. Crisosto and Crisosto. 2005. Postharvest Biology and Technology 39: 10-18. 3
Total Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) ORAC ( mol TE/ 100g) 10000 8000 6000 4000 The black columns highlight Prunus species 2000 0 Apple Gala Apple Granny Smith Apricots Blueberries Cherries Cranberries Currant red Currant Black Figs Grape red Grape green Guava Kiwi Melon Honeydew Melon cantaloupe Nectarine Orange Peach Pear Pineapple Plum Raspberry Strawberry Tangerine Watermelon US Department of Agriculture, 2007. Sour Rot Stone Fruit Decay Mucor Rot Grey Mold Brown Rot Pre-Washing 4
Water Disinfection Chlorine and Detergent Brushing and Washing Free Chlorine 50-100ppm Waxing & Fungicide Operation Currently Used Fungicides DCNA (Allisan) Fenhexamid (Elevate) Fludioxonil (Scholar) Iprodione (Mentor) Trained Panel 1994-2010: Trained panel Describing Cultivars based on Sensory Attributes. 5
Sensory Segregation (PNP Flavor Code) Cultivar x Source (three years) 23 peach cultivars x 4 sources = 92 27 nectarine cultivars x 4 sources = 108 12 plum cultivars x 4 sources = 48 ANOVA, PCA and Ward Segregation Aroma 76 % Sourness 61 % Flavor/ Sweetness 90% Segregation of 12 plum and 4 pluot cultivars from different breeding programs according to their sensory characteristics as perceived by a trained panel and determined by PCA C.H. Crisosto et al. Postharvest Biology and Technology (2007) 44: 271-276 Have you seen any of these problems? 6
Physical Damage Contamination Inking or Staining Crisosto et al., 1999. California Agriculture 53(1): 19-23. Non-susceptible Cultivars Skin Burning Susceptible Cultivars ph 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 9.0 ORP Monitor System 7
Peach Cork Spot Orchard Factors 1991-2010 Crisosto, Johnson, Day, and DeJong. 1997. HortScience 32 (5) 820-823 Irrigation 8
Plant Nutrition Internal Breakdown Mealiness Flesh browning Lack of flavor Failure to ripen Lurie and Crisosto. 2005. Postharvest Biology and Technology 37: 195-208. Plum symptoms observed during cold storage 9
Effect of Temperature on Carnival Peach Internal Breakdown After Storage Plus 2 Days at 68ºF 0ºC 2.2ºC 5ºC Killing Temperature Range 7.2ºC 10ºC Smith, W.H., 1934. Cold storage of Elberta peaches. Ice and Cold Storage. 37, 54-57. Crisosto, et al., 1999. Susceptibility to chilling injury of peach, nectarine, and plum cultivars grown in California. HortScience 34(6):1116-1118 Consumer Problem WHY DOES MEALINESS OCCUR? (firm) OVER-RIPE 1 to 6 weeks Killing temperature 2-8 o C 10
WHAT IS MEALINESS? Cell wall changes during normal peach fruit ripening and in chilling injury causing lack of available juice and mealiness Fruit that are soft but not juicy Cell wall of flowering plants Cellulose Matrix glycans Pectins Structural proteins Carpita and Gibeaut (1993) Plant J. 3: 1-30 ENZYME CHANGES DURING RIPENING COLD STORAGE + RIPENING JUICY FRUIT high COLD STORAGE low TIME cells separate evenly cells break apart to release juice 11
ENZYME CHANGES DURING RIPENING COLD STORAGE + RIPENING FRUIT high COLD STORAGE increasing severity low TIME cells clump together cells do not break apart easily cell walls adsorb water Light microscopy of juicy and mealy fruit Harvest Storage Storage+ripening Juicy Mealy A. Harvest B. Storage 1 week C. Storage 1 week + ripening (juicy) D. Storage 3 weeks E. Storage 3 weeks + ripening (mealy) At harvest or after 1 week storage there is tight adhesion between cells and small air spaces Juicy fruit have slightly rounded cells with increased cell separation Mealy fruit have cells that are more spherical, with large intercellular air spaces Short Term Approach Segregate cultivars by their market life potential. Monitor flesh temperature. Develop practical technology to limit the CI problem. 12
Blondie from the Fresno Bee 12/30/04 Blondie from the Fresno Bee 12/30/04 Blondie from the Fresno Bee 12/30/04 13
CULTIVAR CI SUSCEPTIBILITY May Glo August Red Fay Elberta O Henry Carnival Rich Lady Spring Red Summer Lady White Lady Georgia Belle 0% of fruit 100% of fruit June Sun Ruby Diamond Flavorcrest Summer Grand Sugar Giant Ryan Sun Last Chance Parade Elegant Lady Autumn Rose Some cultivars are consistently susceptible suggesting a STRONG GENETIC INFLUENCE Plum market life held at two storage temperatures based on chilling injury symptom development. Category Cultivar 32 F 41 F A Betty Anne 5 5 October Sun 5 5 Flavor Rich 5 5 Joanne Red 5 5 B Angeleno 5 3 Fortune 5 3 Hiromi Red 5 3 Blackamber 5 2 Purple Majesty 5 3 F Show Time 4 2 Friar 4 2 Earliqueen 3 2 Crisosto et., 2008. Adv. Hort. Sci., 22(3) 201-204. 14
Peach Delayed Cooling (43% Mealy) (0% Mealy) 0ºC 20 Days (100% Mealy) 20ºC 48 Hours + 0ºC 20 Days` (0% Mealy) 5ºC 20 Days 20ºC 48 Hours + 5ºC 20 Days Crisosto, Carlos H., David Garner, Harry L. Andris, and Kevin R. Day. Controlled delayed cooling extends peach market life. HortTechnology 14:99-104. LONG-TERM SOLUTION Pop-DG DR DAVIS x GEORGIA BELLE Pop-G GEORGIA BELLE selfed 470 progeny 70 progeny (Each of the progeny was planted on 2 rootstocks) 15
Packaging Systems Ranch Packing Mechanized 40 a 250 G 20 a 60 G Hand harvest Ranch Packing of Fruit Harvested into Buckets Set buckets on bucket trailers Deliver to packing area Transfer to central cooling Sort, size, and pack from buckets Cool and hold Load into refrigerated transport vehicles Distribute 16
Bucket Operation Bucket Dump Operation Tote Dumping 17
Mechanized Packing of Fruit Harvested into Bins Dump bags into field bins Deliver to packinghouse Mechanically pack Cool and hold in bins Cool and hold Load into refrigerated transport vehicles Distribute Harvesting Hauling 18
Hydrocooling Shower Hydrocooler Bin Dump Operation 19
Sorting Singulator Sizing by Weight 20
Final Sorting & Packing Tray Pack Final Sorting & Packing Volume Filled 21
Inspection Forced Air Cooling Optimal Storage Conditions: -1 to 1ºC 90 to 95% RH Storage Duration: 2 to 6 weeks, depending on cultivar 22
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