S17 - Session P2 - Influence of harvest maturity on fruit quality and storage potential of 'Scilate' apples

Authors: Ramandeep Singh Sidhu *, Sally A. Bound, Dr. Nigel D. Swarts

In apples, fruit maturity at harvest is one of the key factors influencing fruit storage potential and post-harvest quality. Thus, scheduling harvest is a critical decision for growers. This study was focused on investigating the influence of three different harvest timings on fruit quality, fruit softening (FS) and incidence of internal flesh browning (IFB) on fresh fruit and stored 'Scilate' apples grown in the Huon Valley, Southern Tasmania, Australia. The fruit were harvested either one week before the normal commercial harvest date (early harvest), at commercial harvest (mid-harvest) or one week after normal commercial harvest (late harvest). The results revealed that as well as influencing fruit maturity, harvest date significantly influenced several fresh and stored fruit quality parameters along with FS and IFB. Starch pattern index increased, and average fruit weight, dry matter content, and fruit colour parameters were improved with later harvest dates, but malic acid (MA) content followed a declining trend. While no effect was observed on fresh fruit flesh firmness and total soluble solids (TSS), flesh firmness and MA content of stored fruit were significantly lower while TSS and juice pH were significantly higher in late harvested fruit. There was no significant difference between early or mid-harvest dates for FS and incidence of IFB, but the FS and incidence of IFB was higher at late harvest compared with mid harvest. We conclude that despite some improvements in fresh fruit quality parameters, delaying harvest of 'Scilate' fruit can be detrimental for its quality in storage as it also increases the risk of FS and IFB.