Feature
Producing the best fruit possible
Many Californian growers have foliar spray programs to improve plant health . As well as producing sweeter fruit , it is believed such programs improve shelf life .
Thinning is done by hand , and can be quite severe in order to maximise harvests of large fruit . Other practices aimed at improving fruit quality include ;
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Summer pruning to remove excess vegetative growth 10 – 14 days before harvest
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Reflective mulch placed over the orchard floor to increase colouring
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Leaves around the fruit removed 3 – 4 days before harvest
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Multiple picks ; industry standard is 3 to 4 picks over each orchard , but some operators do up to 8 picks . Fruit used to be harvested into half-tonne bins . However , many firms are now using buckets or plastic crates to reduce compression and bruising damage . Plastic crates are
County inspector conducting a 600 piece USDA inspection of outbound fruit following fumigation with MeBr . Photo : J . Ekman
New fumigation chambers under construction , outside and inside . These units have been installed specifically to meet Australian quarantine requirements . Photo : J . Ekman
disinfected between uses , with company policies stating they should never be placed directly on the ground .
While a few of the large firms have their own packing sheds , most service a number of growers . This makes it important that information on the quality of each batch of fruit is recorded as soon as it reaches the central packing shed . Growers may be paid according to fruit quality attributes as well as pack-out .
A subsample , typically 50 fruit from different lugs , is used for measurement of firmness , brix and size . To measure firmness , sections of fruit skin are removed from both cheeks , the shoulder and the tip of each fruit , and a bench mounted penetrometer used to measure rupture force . In Australia we usually measure only the cheeks , but the results are likely similar .
Advanced fruit may be used for domestic markets , while the less advanced fruit is more likely to be exported . However , this is not always the case . It seems that much of the information gathered is used mainly to reflect on orchard management practices after the season , rather than to inform marketing decisions .
Temperatures of 37 – 40 ° C are common during summer
22 Australian Stonefruit Grower | august 2016 summerfruit . com . au