Harvesting practices for special market purpose

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2. PRESENTATION
ON
HARVESTING PRACTICES FOR SPECIFIC MARKET PREPAREMENT
Submitted By :- (1) Pawan Kumar Nagar
Reg. No.:- 04-2690-2015
Course No.:- FSC 507
Course Title:- Post –Harvest Technology for Fruit Crops
Submitted To:- Er. R.L. Rajput
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3. Harvesting is the act or process of gathering a
ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the
cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically
using a scythe, sickle, or reaper.On smaller
farms with mechanization, harvesting is the
most labour-intensive activity of the growing
season.
Harvesting
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4. Time of harvesting
 No scientific standards followed for determination of
maturity
 Most based on experience, some times change of color
(litchi), softness (mango), attainment of size (banana,
jackfruit)
 Harvesting before maturity due to sudden market
demand (festival) or to get higher price early in the
season (litchi, mango), avoiding pest incidence after
rains (litchi, guava)
Harvesting
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6.  Different kinds of fruit and vegetables require different methods
after harvesting. The methods of harvesting are:
 1. Manual Harvesting
2. Mechanical Harvesting
Method of harvesting
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7.  Harvesting by one’s own hand is called manual harvesting. It is
done in several ways:
 Ladder / bag picking method
 Poles/ Clippers method
 Harvesting by means of cutting knives
 Harvesting by means of digging tools.
 Hand picking (guava, litchi, banana, mango)
 Harvesting by climbing on the tree (litchi, mango, jackfruit)
 Harvesting with a notched stick having a pouch (mango, guava)
 Mostly without stalk or leaves (except litchi).
Manual Harvesting
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8. Harvesting practices should cause as little mechanical
damage to produce as possible. Gentle digging, picking
and handling will help reduce crop losses.
Pick carefully to avoid damage:
Manual Harvesting
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9. For some crops, a natural break point forms at the
junction of the stem and the stalk when produce is
mature. Harvesters should grasp the product firmly but
gently and pull upward as illustrated below. Wearing
cotton gloves, trimming fingernails, and removing
jewelry such as rings and bracelets can help reduce
mechanical damage during harvest.
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10. Mechanical harvester
1.Canopy Shaker
2. Limb Shaker
3. Air Blast
4. Abscission Chemical
5.Trunk Shaker
Automatic Harvester
CRAM Citrus Picking Robot
Agribot Project
Eureka Projects
Mechanical Harvesting
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11. Mechanical Harvesting
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12.  Mango
 Manual fruit picking
 Mango fruit picker
 Crane type Mango fruit
Picker
Harvesting Practices
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13.  Banana
 Individual fruit
picking
 Fruit Bunch
cut with sickle
Harvesting Practices
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14. Harvesting Practices
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15. Harvesting Practices
 Strawberry
 Individual fruit
picking
 Fruit Bunch pick
with sickle
 Mechanical
strawberry fruit
picker
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16. Harvesting Practices
 Grape
 Individual fruit
Bunch picking
 Fruit Bunch pick
with Scissors
 Mechanical Grape
Berry Harvester
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17.  Maturity
Maturity can be described as the attainment of the
particular size or stage after which ripening takes
place.
 Maturity Indices/ Harvesting indices
 The quality of fruits and vegetable cannot be
improved but it can be presented when harvesting
is done at proper stage of maturity. Immature fruits
when harvested will give poor quality and erratic
ripening.
Maturity & Maturity Indices
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18.  IMPORTANCE
 Maturity Indices = Harvest Indices
 Sensory and Nutritional Quality
 Use—Fresh market or Processed
 Adequate shelf-life
 Facilitate marketing—standards
 Productivity—yield at harvest and use
Maturity Indices
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19. Introduction
 Maturation is the stage of development leading to the physiological
maturity (when a plant or plant parts will continue ontogeny even if
detached) or horticultural maturity (when a plant or plant parts
possesses the pre-requisites for utilization by the consumer for a
particular purpose).
 Maturity indices help in deciding that when a given commodity should
be harvested to provide some marketing and to ensure the attainment of
acceptable eating quality to the consumer.
 Fruits are picked at the wrong stage of maturity may develop
physiological disorders in storage and may exhibit poor dessert quality.
 For selecting the harvest maturity of fruits or vegetables it should be
kept in mind that harvested commodity should have its peak acceptable
quality (nontoxic, size, appearance, and flavor with adequate shelf life)
(Thompson, 1996).
 Quality indices consist of a combination of visual appearance, texture &
flavor.
Maturity Indices
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20. Maturity Indices
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21. Importance of Maturity Indices
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22. Maturity Indices
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23. Mango
 Tapka stage
 Sholder Development
 Specific gravity (1.0-1.02 for Alphonso & less than 1.0 for dashehari).
 White powdery like appearance on skin of mature mango.
 Change in fruit shape (fullness of the cheeks)
 Days to fruit set (110-125 days for Alphonso and Pairi).
 Change in skin color from dark-green to light-green to yellow (in some cultivars). Red color on
the skin of some cultivars is not a dependable maturity index.
 TSS 12-15 %
 Change in flesh color from greenish-yellow to yellow to orange.
 Indices may be used in determining maturity are
 as follows:
 Color of the rind, fruit, stem, and pulp
 Form or shape of the fruit
 Sound of the fruit when tap tightly
 Dry matter and total acid contents of the juice
 Number of days from flower induction
 Flotation in 1% salt solution
Maturity Indices
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24. Maturity Indices
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25.  Banana
 Degree of fullness of the fingers i.e., disappearance of angularity in a cross section.
 Skin and pulp ratio (1.20:1.40 for Dwarf Cavendish).
 Drying of plant parts.
 Acid content 0.25%
 Starch index.
 Days to fruit set (90 days for Dwarf Cavendish).
 Bananas are harvested mature-green and ripened upon arrival at destination
markets.
Maturity Indices conti….
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26. Maturity/Harvesting Indices For
Banana
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27.  Citrus
 All citrus are non-climacteric fruit,
meaning that they ripen gradually
over weeks or months and are slow
to abscise from the tree.
 External color changes during
ripening, but is a function of climate
more than ripeness, and a poor
indicator of maturity.
 Juice content (35-50%)
 TSS 12-14% for mandarin and for
sweet orange 10-12%
 By acidity (mandarin 0.4%, sweet
orange 0.3%)
 The best indices of maturity for citrus
are internal: o Brix (sugar), acid
content, and the o Brix/acid ratio
(mandarin 12-14o brix, sweet orange
12o brix).
Maturity Indices conti….
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28.  Papaya
 Change of skin color from dark-
green to light-green with some
yellow at the blossom end (color
break).
 Papayas are usually harvested at
color break to ¼ yellow for export
or at ½ to ¾ yellow for local
markets.
 TSS 7-11%
 A minimum soluble solids of
11.5% is required
 Guava
 Guava fruits are picked at the
mature-green stage (color change
from dark- to light-green).
 Specific gravity 1.01-1.02
 TSS 12-14 %
Maturity Indices conti….
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29.  Sapota
 Fruit with 80% maturity
 Skin color change from light-
brown with a tinge of green to
light-brown to dark-brown.
 Weight of fruit 65-70 gms
 Flesh yellow streak when
scrached with finger nail
 Specific gravity 1.025-1.057.
 Pineapple
 Flattening of eyes with slight
hollowness at the centre
 Change of shell color from green
to yellow at the base of the fruit.
 Specific gravity 0.98-1.02%
 A minimum soluble solids
content of 12-14% and a
maximum acidity of 1% will
assure minimum flavor
acceptability by most consumers.
Maturity Indices conti….
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30.  Apple
 Days after full bloom (DAFB) 135-
150
 Fruit firmness
 Percent soluble solids (or sugar
levels)
 Acidity
 Starch levels
 Annona
 Change in skin color from dark-
green to light-green or greenish-
yellow.
 Days to full bloom (100-115 days).
 Other indicators include
appearance of cream color between
segments on the skin and
increased surface smoothness of
the separate fruit carpals.
Maturity Indices conti….
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31. Maturity Indices conti….
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32. MATURITY STANDARDS
Sr. No. Index Examples Specific
1. Elapsed days from full bloom to harvest Apples, pears 135-180
2. Mean heat units during development Peas, apples, 4.5º
3. Development of abscission layer Some melons, apples, 45-50 Days After
4. Firmness Apples, pears, stone fruits Magness-Taylor Pressure
Tester:
Effegi fruit penetrometer:
5. Juice content Citrus fruits 33-35 %
6. Astringency (tannin content) Persimmons, dates Slight/ Medium/ High
7. Acid content, sugar/acid ratio Pomegranates, citrus,
papaya,
Melons, kiwifruit
6:1/ 8:1
8. Sugar content Apples, pears, stone fruits, 5-7%
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33. MATURITY STANDARDS
Sr.
No.
Index Examples
9. Oil content Avocados -2%
10. Internal color and structure Formation of jelly-like material in
tomato fruits
Flesh color of some fruits
Intensity of Redness/ color
11. Solidity Lettuce, cabbage, brussels sprouts Lightly
12. Internal ethylene
concentration
Apples, pears 5 micro letre
13. Development of abscission
layer
apples, 50-60 Days after Fruit set
14. Tenderness Peas Tenderometer Reading
15. Color, external All fruits and most vegetables -
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34. MEASUREMENT OF TSS
 Sugars are the major soluble solids in fruit juices and
therefore soluble solids can be
 used as an estimate of sweetness. A hand-held
refractometer can be used outdoors
 to measure % SSC (equivalent degrees Brix for sugar
solutions) in a small sample of
 fruit juice. Temperature will affect the reading
(increasing about 0.5% SSC for every
 5 ºC or 10 ºF), so you should adjust the measurement
for the ambient temperature.
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35. Sr.
No.
Commodity TSS (ºB) Degree Brix ( Average)
1. Apple 18-20
2. Custard apple 20-22
3. Pomegranate 12-14
4. Mango 20-24
5. Sapota 12-14
6. Jackfruit 25-29
7. Papaya 10-12
8. Aonla 10-14
9. Bael 18-20
10. Strawberry 11-12
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36. USING A FIRMNESS TESTER
 The degree of softness or crispiness can be estimated by
squeezing produce, or by taking a bite. Objective
measurements can be made with inexpensive
penetrometers.
 The most common way to measure firmness is
resistance to compression or pounds-force (lbf).
 To measure firmness, use fruit that are uniform in
temperature, since warm fruit are usually softer than
cold fruit. Use fruits that are uniform in size, since large
fruit are usually softer than smaller fruit. Make two
puncture tests per fruit on larger fruits,
 once on opposite cheeks, midway between stem and
blossom ends. Remove a disc of skin (larger than the tip
to be used) and choose the appropriate plunger tip (see
below).
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37. MEASURING FIRMNESS
 1.5mm (1/16 inch) - Olive
 3 mm (1/8 inch) - Cherry, grape, strawberry
 8 mm (5/16 inch) - Apricot, avocado, kiwifruit,
pear, mango, nectarine, papaya, peach
 11 mm (7/16 inch) - Apple
 Calibrate firmness testers by holding the tester vertically
and placing the tip on the pan of a scale.
 Press down until the scale registers a given weight, then
read the firmness tester.
 Repeat 3 to 5 times, if you find the instrument reads the
same as the scale,
 it is ready to use. You can adjust the penetrometers by
inserting washers in the appropriate locations (follow the
instructions that come with the instrument).
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38. Harvesting equipment includes a wide range of different
instruments and containers. Harvesting equipment
includes:
 Pruning shears
 Picking containers
 Harvesting Knives
 Ladders
 Harvesting Containers
 Mechanical harvesters
 Garden fork
 Bulk Bins and Picking Trailers
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39. HARVESTING CONTAINERS
 Picking baskets, bags and buckets come in many sizes
and shapes. Buckets are better at baskets in protecting
produce, since they do not collapse and squeeze
produce.
 These harvesting containers can be made by sewing
bags with openings on both ends, fitting fabric over the
open bottom of ready-made baskets, fitting bags with
adjustable harnesses, or by simply adding some
carrying straps to a small basket.
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40. HARVESTING CONTAINERS
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41. HARVESTING TOOLS
Some fruits need to be clipped or cut from the parent plant. Clippers or knives
should be kept well sharpened. Penduncles, woody stems or spurs should be
trimmed as close as possible to prevent fruit from damaging neighboring fruits
during transport.
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42. HARVESTING TOOLS
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43.  Pruning shears
 Straight bladed hand shears for fruits and flowers
 Thin curved blade for grapes and fruits:
 Pole mounted cut and hold picking shears:
 Cut and hold hand shears:
 Clipper for citrus fruits:
 Hand woven collection bag
 Using a picking pole:
 Canvas collection sack
HARVESTING TOOLS
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44. FIELD PACKING
 When crops are field packed the picker harvests and
then immediately packs the produce after minimal
handling Strawberries are generally field packed, since
even a small amount of handling will damage these soft
fruits.
 When lettuce is field packed, several wrapper leaves are
left on the head to help cushion the produce during
transport.
 A small cart can help reduce the amount of bending
and lifting the picker has to do during harvest.
 The carts shown below have a single wheel in front, and
can be pushed along the row ahead of the picker.
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45. FIELD PACKING
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46. TRANSPORT TO PACKINGHOUSE
 When crops are harvested at some distance from the
packinghouse, the produce must be transported before
packing.
 The gravity driven conveyor system for bananas
illustrated below provides an example of how handling
can be minimized during preparation for market.
 Harvested bananas are carried to the platforms set up
along the conveyor route, then lifted and hung from
hooks attached to the wire.
 Transport speed is controlled by workers who lead the
produce to the packinghouse at the bottom of the hill.
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47. TRANSPORT TO THE PACKING HOUSE
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48. REFERENCES
 JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY, VOL. 1, NO.3,
DECEMBER 2000 : 17-22
 Postharvest Technology Short Course, June 2009
 Postharvest Technology Short Course, June 2014
 Harvesting & Post Harvest Handling of peaches for fresh
market 2013
 AGRICULTURE AND BIOLOGY JOURNAL OF NORTH
AMERICA 2014.
 Response of different maturity stages of sapota (Manilkara
achras Mill.) cv. Kallipatti to in-package ethylene absorbent J
Food Sci Technol (November–December 2011)
 Slight free falling impact test for assessing guava maturity
2013
 Mechanical Harvesting & Handling of citrus fruits 2005
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