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UC DavisUC Davis
KACKAC
STONE FRUIT POSTHARVEST HANDLING
Carlos H. CrisostoDepartment of Plant Sciences
CA Well Mature
M
Nectarine and Peach
Ground Color Guides of the
California Tree Fruit
Agreement (CTFA)
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Cherry Color Categories
Full Dark Plum and Full Red
Nectarines and Peaches
Maximum Maturity
Critical Bruising Threhold
Bruising Potential
Quality
Firmness
G’s
HarvestHaulingPackinglineTransportationRetail handling
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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.
CultivarFirmness
(lb)Minimum
SSC(%)
Blackamber 7-9 10-12Z
Fortune 7-9 11
Friar 7-9 11
Royal D. 7-9 11
Angeleno 6-9 12
Betty Anne 7-9 12
ZBlackamber 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.
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0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
Apple G
ala
Apple G
ranny S
mith
Apricots
Blueb
errie
s
Cherrie
s
Cranber
ries
Curran
t red
Curran
t Bla
ckFig
s
Gra
pe re
d
Gra
pe gre
en
Guava
Kiwi
Mel
on Honey
dew
Mel
on can
talo
upe
Necta
rine
Ora
nge
Peach
Pear
Pinea
pplePlu
m
Raspber
ry
Straw
berry
Tanger
ine
Wat
erm
elon
OR
AC
(m
ol
TE
/ 1
00
g)
Total Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC)
US Department of Agriculture, 2007.
The black columns highlight Prunus species
Brown RotGrey Mold
Mucor Rot
Stone Fruit DecaySour Rot
Pre-Washing
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Water DisinfectionChlorine and
Detergent
Free Chlorine 50-100ppm
Brushing and Washing
Waxing & Fungicide OperationCurrently Used FungicidesDCNA (Allisan)Fenhexamid (Elevate)Fludioxonil (Scholar)Iprodione (Mentor)
Trained Panel
Describing Cultivars based on Sensory Attributes.
1994-2010: Trained panel
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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
C.H. Crisosto et al. Postharvest Biology and Technology (2007) 44: 271-276
76 %
61 %
Flavor/
Sweetness
Aroma
Sourness 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
Have you seen any of these problems?
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PhysicalDamage
Contamination
Inking or Staining Crisosto et al., 1999. California Agriculture 53(1): 19-23.
pH 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 9.0
Non-susceptible Cultivars
Susceptible Cultivars
Skin Burning
ORP Monitor System
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Peach Cork Spot
Orchard Factors
1991-2010
Crisosto, Johnson, Day, and DeJong. 1997. HortScience 32 (5) 820-823
Irrigation
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Plant Nutrition
InternalBreakdown
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
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Effect of Temperature on ‘Carnival’ Peach Internal Breakdown After Storage Plus 2 Days at 68ºF
0ºC 2.2ºC 5ºC
10ºC7.2ºCSmith, 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
Killing Temperature Range
Consumer Problem
WHY DOES MEALINESS OCCUR?
OVER-RIPE(firm)
“Killing temperature” 2-8oC1 to 6 weeks
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WHAT IS MEALINESS?
Fruit that are soft but not juicy
Cell wall changes during normal peach fruit ripening and in chilling injury causing lack of available juice and
mealiness
Cell wall of flowering plants
Carpita and Gibeaut (1993) Plant J. 3: 1-30
•Cellulose•Matrix glycans•Pectins•Structural proteins
COLD STORAGE + RIPENING → JUICY FRUIT
ENZYME CHANGES DURING RIPENING
TIME
high
low
COLD STORAGE
• cells separate evenly
• cells break apart to release juice
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COLD STORAGE + RIPENING → FRUIT
ENZYME CHANGES DURING RIPENING
TIME
high
low
COLD STORAGE
• cells clump together• cells do not break apart easily• cell walls adsorb water
increasing severity
Light microscopy of juicy and mealy fruit
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
Juicy
Mealy
Harvest Storage Storage+ripening
Short Term Approach
Segregate cultivars by their market life potential.
Monitor flesh temperature.
Develop practical technology to limit the CI problem.
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Blondie from the Fresno Bee 12/30/04
Blondie from the Fresno Bee 12/30/04
Blondie from the Fresno Bee 12/30/04
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CULTIVAR CI SUSCEPTIBILITY
Some cultivars are consistently susceptible…
…suggesting a STRONG GENETIC INFLUENCE
Georgia BelleO’Henry
Rich Lady
Summer Grand
August Red
Sugar GiantJune Sun
May GloSpring Red Summer Lady
Autumn RoseParade
Carnival
Last ChanceRyan SunElegant Lady
White LadyFay Elberta
Ruby Diamond Flavorcrest
0% of fruit 100% of fruit
Plum market life held at two storage temperatures based on chilling injury symptom development.
Category Cultivar 32 °F 41°FA 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.
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5ºC 20 Days
0ºC 20 Days
20ºC 48 Hours + 5ºC 20 Days
20ºC 48 Hours + 0ºC 20 Days`
(43% Mealy)
(0% Mealy)(100% Mealy)
(0% Mealy)
Crisosto, Carlos H., David Garner, Harry L. Andris, and Kevin R. Day. Controlled delayed cooling extends peach market life. HortTechnology 14:99-104.
Peach Delayed Cooling
470 progeny 70 progeny
Pop-DG Pop-G
DR DAVIS x GEORGIA BELLE GEORGIA BELLE selfed
(Each of the progeny was planted on 2 rootstocks)
LONG-TERM SOLUTION
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Packaging Systems
Ranch Packing Mechanized
20 a 60 G
40 a 250 G
Hand harvest
Ranch Packing of Fruit Harvested into Buckets
Set buckets onSet buckets onbucket trailersbucket trailers
Deliver toDeliver topacking areapacking area
Sort, size, and Sort, size, and pack from bucketspack from buckets
Cool andCool andholdhold
Load into Load into refrigeratedrefrigerated
transport vehiclestransport vehicles
DistributeDistribute
Transfer to Transfer to central coolingcentral cooling
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Bucket Operation
Bucket Dump Operation
Tote Dumping
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Mechanized Packing of Fruit Harvested into Bins
Dump bags intoDump bags intofield binsfield bins
Deliver toDeliver topackinghousepackinghouse
Cool and holdCool and holdin binsin bins
Cool andCool andholdhold
Load into Load into refrigeratedrefrigerated
transport vehiclestransport vehicles
DistributeDistribute
MechanicallyMechanicallypackpack
Harvesting
Hauling
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Hydrocooling
Shower Hydrocooler
Bin Dump Operation
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Sorting
Singulator
Sizing by Weight
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Tray Pack
Final Sorting & Packing
Final Sorting & Packing
Volume Filled
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Inspection
Forced Air Cooling
Optimal Storage Conditions:
-1 to 1ºC
90 to 95% RH
Storage Duration:
2 to 6 weeks, depending on
cultivar
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