Key Points of the Latest Apple Harvesting and Storage Techniques

Apples are a common fruit on the market. In China, they are mainly grown on a large scale in the areas north of the Yangtze River, and many fine varieties have emerged from these regions. Every year, the apples from these producing areas require a great deal of manual picking so they can be shipped to all parts of the country for sale. So what should be noted during harvesting, and how to ensure they do not rot during transport, are both important issues. The following will cover these aspects.

I. Harvesting

If the planting area is large, try to have more people picking to shorten the harvesting time and ensure quality. Generally, picking workers need to wear clean gloves and use sterilized scissors specially designed for cutting fruit. When cutting, leave about 1 cm of fruit stalk. The cut should be flat, clean and decisive. Fruits with a high degree of ripeness should be picked first, or the fruits on the outer part of the canopy; the top fruits can be harvested together. During harvesting, a rough sorting should be done first, separating the large high-quality ones, the small ones, and the bird-pecked ones, to make later screening easier. In addition, deformed fruits and rotten fruits should be removed.

II. Storage

1. At present, the most widely used method is low-temperature storage. Generally, apples are best kept at a temperature of around 0 degrees, with a minimum of no lower than minus two degrees and a maximum of no higher than 5 degrees. A relative humidity of around 80% is generally considered best. Under such conditions, cold storage can preserve them for about half a year. Cold storage should be done promptly, otherwise the storage time is likely to be reduced. Generally, it is best to place them in a facility environment where the temperature can be adjusted.

2. When conditions were limited in the past, local people came up with the method of digging cellars for storage. Cellars were dug in places with slightly higher terrain, dry underground conditions, and convenient transportation. A cellar generally needs to have free space exceeding half of the yield. Underground oxygen deficiency can prevent the fruit from respiratory oxidation. Relatively speaking, this was a very good method in the past, but it is not the best method.

3. If it is only for short-term storage of one or two months before they can be dealt with, then you can find a shady, dry place and temporarily place the apples there. Generally, choose a flat place with good transportation, pack the apples and store them in a trench, but protective measures should be set up on the ground surface to prevent rain, snow and freezing. When transporting them for sale, refrigerated trucks are generally used.

How apples should be picked and stored can be combined with actual practice, but different regions have different methods, and there are also many experience-based methods of the working people that are not widely known. Perhaps you will also accumulate your own experience during the growing process.