1

Carlos H. Crisostochcrisosto@ucdavis.edu

Table Grape Postharvest Handling

Three Main Problems

Add bleaching/hairline

Bleaching

BotrytisDecay

hairline

Use of SO2 to Control Decay

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Crisosto, C.H., L. Palou, D. Garner, and D.A. Armson. 2002. Concentration by time product and gas penetration after marine container fumigation of table grapes with reduced doses of sulfur dioxide. Horttechnology. 12(2):241-245.

•Initial

•Storage

Concentration x Time • At least 100 CT

– 100 ppm per hour– 200 ppm per 30 min– 400 ppm per 15 min

Smilanick, J.L.and D.J. Henson. 1992. Minimum Gaseous Sulphur Dioxide Concentrations and Exposure Periods To Control Botrytis-Cinerea. Crop Protection. 11(6):535-540.

Palou, L., C.H. Crisosto, D. Garner, L.M. Basinal, J.L. Smilanick and J.P. Zoffoli. 2002. Minimum constant sulfur dioxide emission rates to control Gray Mold of cold-stored table grapes. Am. J. Enol. Vitic. 53(2):110-115.

Luvisi, D.A. H.H. Shorey J.L. Smilanick, J.F. Thompson, B.H. Gump and J. Knutson. 1992. Sulfur dioxide fumigation of table grapes. University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Bulletin 1932, 21 pp.

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Stem Browning

0 hr 3 hr 6 hr 9 hr

0.2-1.5% Water Loss During Harvest and Packing

2.0% Critical Threshold

• Sugraone

• Princess

• Thompson Seedless

• Autumn King

• Summer Royal

• Fantasy Seedless

• Marroo Seedless

• Autumn Royal

• Flame Seedless

• Scarlett Royal

• Sweet Scarlet

• Crimson Seedless

• Red Globe

Table Grape Cultivars & Maturity

4

Pos

thar

vest

Han

dlin

g of

Tab

le G

rape

s Avenue Pack

1. Carrying Lugs to Avenue Packer

2. Trimming, Cleaning, and Sorting Fruit

3. Packing Fruit into Shipping Lugs

4. Field Lidding and Stacking

5. Initial SO2 Fumigation FAC/SO2

Pads

i.) Packer Inspection

6. Forced Air Cooling (FAC)

Storage Slow-Release SO2

Pad

Periodic Refumigation

Inspection by buyers or 3rd

partyLoading Pellets into

Refrigerated Truck/Van

Unloading at Terminal

Retail Distribution

Recooling & Holding

Avenue Pack

Harvest Preparation

• Treat avenues to prevent dust• Withhold irrigation• Level soil• Remove high cover crops• Prune some long canes;

remove some leaves

5

Avenue Pack Field Pickers

• Selecting

• Harvesting

• Trimming

Avenue Pack Field Pickers

• Carrying lugs, TotesAvenue Pack Field Pickers

6

Filed Packing table grapes in styrofoam boxes

• Trimming• Inspecting• Packing • Lidding

Avenue Pack Field

Pickers

Avenue Packaging

Stacking and Loading the Truck

Table Grape Containers/Packaging

• New corrugated types

EPS or Foam

Corrugated

TKV

RPC

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Pallets arriving for cooling, SO2 fumigation and cold storage

Avenue Pack Cold Storage

Stacked Boxes of Table Grapes Awaiting Transport for Cooling and SO2 Fumigation

• Palletization (pallet squeeze)• Unitization (netting or strapping)

Temperature Management Requirements

• Delayed cooling – ≤ 4-6 hours

• Fast Cooling Temperature – ≤ 6 - 8 hours

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•Storage Temperature –0.5 - 0oC

•Relative Humidity –90 - 95%

•Air Flow –20-40 cfm/ton

Temperature Management Requirements

Postharvest Biology and Technology of Kiwifruits

Carlos H. Crisostochcrisosto@ucdavis.edu

31%Butte

Yuba

Sutter

4%San Joaquin

Stanislaus

65%Tulare

Kings

Fresno

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TIME AFTER ANTHESIS (weeks)0 10 20 30 40

TO

TA

L S

UG

AR

: S

OL

UB

LE

SO

LID

S :

S

TA

RC

H :

TO

TA

L A

CID

S(%

fre

sh w

eig

ht)

0

2

4

6

8

10

FL

ES

H F

IRM

NE

SS

(kg

f)

7

8

9

10

FR

UIT

WE

IGH

T (

g)

0

40

80

120

160Soluble Solids

Total Sugars

Fruit Weight

FirmnessTotal Acids

Starch

Seed Color

White Tan DarkBrown

Black

Beever and Hopkirk, 1990

Physical and Compositional Changes during Development

StoragePotential

Pericarp translucency

or

Internal breakdown

Kiwifruit internal breakdown after 3 months cold storage

HARVEST SSC (%)

4 5 6 7 8 9

KIW

IFR

UIT

INT

ER

NA

LB

RE

AK

DO

WN

(%

)

0

20

40

60

80

100Sacramento Valley, 1998

San Joaquin Valley, 1998

San Joaquin Valley, 1999

Sacramento Valley, 2000

San Joaquin Valley, 2000

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Kiwi

Mature RipeHarvest Consumption

Starch

Sugars

SSC = 6.5% SSC = 15%

15.1-16.1 % DW

Consumer Acceptance (‘in-store’)

How to assure Consumer Quality • Minimum Maturity (6.2% SSC)• Maximum Maturity (<14 pounds)• Consumer Quality (>12.5% RSSC)

• Fruit Handler Quality (>15.1% DW)

11

B

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

A

California Kiwin = 3156

0.4 0.62.2

6.1

14.5

23.5 24.1

17.6

7.7

2.40.6 0.3

Dry matter (%)

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Fre

qu

ency

(%

)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

B

Chilean Kiwin = 48

22.9

16.7

39.6

8.3 8.3

4.2

Dry matter (DM) distribution of ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit

A) California samples (1998-2009 growing seasons).

A) Chilean kiwifruit for 46 samples (2009-2010)

Kiwifruit Harvesting & Packaging

12

Holding or Curing

Packinghouse Operations

Bin Dumping

Cleaning-Brushing- Sepals Removing

13

Sorting

Sizing

14

Tray packing

Volume Filled

USA Kiwifruit

HAYWARD PACKOUT BY CONTAINER TYPE

CONTAINERTYPE

2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09

TRAYS 1.55% 2.50% 2.27% 2.32% 4.50% 3.30%

3 LAYERS 5.77% 7.20% 3.39% 2.38% 1.34% 2.94%

BAGS/CP 8.23% 8.50% 14.23% 16.33% 23.22% 5.08%

VF (19.8# - 9k) 83.70% 78.70% 77.70% 76.65% 68.74% 70.08%

BINS 1.99% 3.00% 2.41% 2.31% 2.19% 4.06%

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-1.1°C -0.5°C

0°C 0.5°C

Containers The type of kiwifruit container with box liners do not interfere with the ethylene application.

TRAY PACKED

VOLUME FILLED

tri-wall

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Kiwifruit ripening

Mature(Harvest)

Ripe(Consumption)

WAIT… I’m not “READY TO EAT” yet!!

EAT ME… I’m “READY TO EAT”!!

• Hard• Starchy• Sour• Odorless• 6.5 - 7.0% HSSC• 13.5 - 14% RSSC• 17% DW

• Soft, Juicy• No starch • Sweet, • Aromatic• Tasty• 13.5 - 14.0% RSSC• 17% DW

LOWConsumer

Acceptance

HIGHConsumer

Acceptance

Storage 4-12 months

Preconditioning (4- 21 days)

Kiwifruit Postharvest Handling Tips

• Minimum Maturity (6.5% SSC)

• Maximum Maturity (<14 pounds)

• Consumer Quality (>12.5% RSSC)

• Disease Management (gray mold)

• Ethylene (5-10ppB)

• Temperature Management (32oF & 90% RH)

• Controlled Atmosphere

More information:http://www.uckac.edu/postharv/ and http://postharvest ucdavis edu

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Avenue PackCold Storage

• Storage

• SO2 fumigation (7-10 days)

• Inspection

Sh

ed P

ack

• Selecting

• Packing• Trimmin

g

Pos

thar

vest

Han

dlin

g of

Tab

le G

rape

s Shed Pack

1. Fruit is Placed in Picking Lugs

2. Lugs Placed in Shade of Vine3. Transportation to Packinghouse4. Lugs are Delivered to Packer5. Trimming, Cleaning, and Sorting6. Packing into Shipping Lugs

7. Packer Inspection

9. Initial SO2 Fumigation FAC/SO2

Pads

Forced Air Cooling (FAC)

Storage Slow-Release SO2

Pad

Periodic Refumigation

Inspection by buyers or 3rd

partyLoading Pellets into

Refrigerated Truck/Van

Unloading at Terminal

Retail Distribution

Recooling & Holding

8. Lidding

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Shed Pack

• Lidding• Staking• Unitization• Cooling

SO2

Generating Pads

One and Two phases

The Box Liner System

• COMPONENTS– SO2 pad

– Box Liner

– Bottom pad

– Cluster bag

– Box type

– Inner packaging

– Season/country

– Cultivar

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Containers The type of kiwifruit container with box liners do not interfere with the ethylene application.

TRAY PACKED

VOLUME FILLED

tri-wall

Avenue Pack Cold Storage

Pallets arriving for cooling, SO2 fumigation and cold storage