IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HARVESTING PEARS IN INTENSIVE ORCHARD

  1. HARVEST PERIOD: in Italy it’s the third ten days of July. Pears are a climacteric fruit, that is, they are able to ripen even after being detached from the plant. Depending on the climatic conditions, ripening can be more or less fast. This allows us to harvest the pears when they are still a little unripe (therefore they are still hard), it is better to anticipate a little and let them complete ripening after harvest, especially in the case of cold storage.
  2. FIELD SELECTION: based on the climatic conditions of the year, decide on the ideal caliber. Select the fruits in the field, using the caliber of the decided size, positioned on the central side of the bin, where it is also necessary to position the box for the discarded pears of a smaller size.
  3. ATTENTION TO THE PETIOLE: a pear without the petiole is considered a waste pear. Be very careful to detach the petiole from the branch well, avoiding injury to the skin of the fruit. In the case of long petioles, be careful not to break them. Place the index finger on the petiole and turn the pear upwards.
  4. HARVEST: gently place them in the bins, avoiding too much overlapping of the fruits so as not to damage them. After harvesting, place a cloth to avoid overheating of the fruits and transport them to a cool place.
  5. PACKAGING: carry out the sorting and positioning in the appropriate pockets inside the boxes in a cool place.

SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF CARMEN VARIETY

The visual characteristic of the Carmen variety is the bright red over-coloring of the side exposed to the sun, extending over 20-30% of the yellow-green surface, which forms towards maturity and is accentuated during storage, a color much appreciated by consumers.
Moreover, it is now the reference variety for earliness, after this variety the varieties Santa Maria, Williams, Conference, Decana, Abate Fetel and Kaiser are harvested.
Some other information about the Carmen variety: medium-fine pulp, juicy, aromatic and with good taste characteristics. Fruits with a high shelf-life, little or no subject to decay, particularly resistant to handling. The shelf-life in the cold room is good.

FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS: THINNING

The thinning of the pear tree is a fundamental operation to increase the yield of the harvested fruit and normalize production over the years, minimizing the phenomenon of alternation.

Thinning should be done when the small fruit reaches a size of 20-25 mm, as soon as the drop has finished after withering, to prevent the plant from losing too much energy in carrying on all the fruit.

For more information regarding thinning, harvesting, post-harvest technologies, the design and the realization of highly productive intensive orchard, contact Advice&Consulting® !

We’ll be happy to advise you on the most suitable solutions for your needs!