Harvesting and Field Packing of Tree-Ripened Peach Fruits, Critical Evaluation

To satisfy consumer demand for riper fruits, a system for field packing stone fruits was set up based on an experimental electrical traction platform. Tree-ripened peaches and nectarines were sorted and field packed in plastic clamshell containers and delivered directly to retail outlets. Productivity and fruit characteristics such as size, flesh firmness and soluble solids concentration were evaluated. While the observed working capacity was comparable to that of conventional harvesting systems, the fruit characteristics (size and flesh firmness) did not always meet the required consumer-oriented higher quality standards.