Prepared by the University of Massachusetts Amherst Extension Fruit Team
Horticulture (including apple maturity report)
Apple harvest open office hour. Tuesdays at noon through harvest (or when I call it quits or no one shows up). Apple maturity update, PYO logistics, open discussion. Via Zoom, https://umass-amherst.zoom.us/j/7562823263, Meeting ID: 756 282 3263 One tap mobile +16468769923,,7562823263# US (New York)
UMass Vegetable Program: Agricultural Water Twilight Series
The UMass Extension Vegetable Program is offering a series of online twilight meetings all about water! We will welcome Extension specialists and farmers from Massachusetts and beyond to cover a range of water-related topics.
Part I: Water Use Regulations, Water Monitoring Tools, and Efficient Irrigation
Wednesday, September 16, 2020 - 6:00pm to 7:30pm
Speakers:
Register here
Part II: Water System Mapping and Water Testing for FSMA
Wednesday, September 23, 2020 - 6:00pm to 7:30pm
Speakers:
Register here
Part III: Post-harvest Water Quality and Sanitizer Use
Wednesday, September 30, 2020 - 6:00pm to 7:30pm
Speakers:
Register here
Jon Clements
I don’t have much to report, watch my apple harvest open office hour on YouTube when it becomes available. BUT, here’s the synopsis:
Has anyone else noticed the smoke?
Jaime Piñero
Ed. note: Jaime says he has nothing new to report this week. Maybe he can do a synopsis of growing season when it comes to insect management for the last Healthy Fruit of 2020, on September 29?
J. Clements
All observations from UMass Orchard, Belchertown, MA unless otherwise noted. Target maturity numbers: red color, >50%; firmness, >14 lbs.; soluble solids, >12; DA, 0.60 to 0.40 for Honeycrisp, 0.65 for Gala, 1.00 for Golden Delicious, 1.15 to 1.00 for Red Delicious (higher DA = more "green"); starch index, 4-6.
2020 Date | Variety | Drop | Diameter | Color | Firmness | Brix | Starch Index | DA Meter | Comments | Picture |
9/14 | Rubymac McIntosh | nil | 3.2 | 95 | 14 | 12.1 | 4-5 | NA | Still looking good, although softening a bit, large for Macs, hold on trees nicely | |
9/14 | Lindamac McIntosh | few | 2.9 | 80 | 15 | 12.1 | 4-6 | NA | Should be harvested ASAP | |
9/14 | Rogers Red McIntosh | few | 3 | 65 | 17 | 12.5 | 3.5-5.5 | NA | Classic late-season McIntosh strain, harvest could start any day | |
9/14 | Cortland (Recort?) | none | 3.4 | 55 | 17 | 12.1 | 1-2 | NA | Most likely had ReTain, wait a week | |
9/14 | Honeycrisp | few | 3.6 | 70 | 14 | 12.7 | 5-8 | 0.60 | Variable maturity as usual, some rots, bitter pit, kind of rough looking crop overall but some apples are beautiful, needs to be spot-picked on color and finished up within the week | |
9/14 | Buckeye Gala | none | 3.0 | 100 | 18 | 12.4 | 2-7 | 0.45 | ½ rate ReTain, still some stem-end cracking, needs to be harvested ASAP, very sweet |
Ed. note: Below are excerpts from Harvest Maturity Report #4, via Craig J. Kahlke (Area Extension Educator, Team Leader, Fruit Quality Management, Cornell Cooperative Extension – Lake Ontario Fruit Program) e-mail on September 10, 2020
GALA Storage from Dr. Chris Watkins, Cornell (Summarized by Basedow & Donahue, CE-ENYCHP)
 A major concern for Gala right now is stem end flesh browning (SEFB). So far we know that:
HONEYCRISP Storage from Dr. Chris Watkins, Cornell (Summarized by Basedow & Donahue, CE-ENYCHP)
Chris’s overall recommendation for Honeycrisp currently is air storage with 1-MCP to avoid CA related injuries. Storages should be high quality however, i.e. modern CA-like storages with good control of temperature.
MCINTOSH Storage from Dr. Chris Watkins, Cornell (Summarized by Basedow & Donahue, CE-ENYCHP)
1-MCP helps keep Macs firm on the shelf after long-term storage, and will also help reduce superficial scald and senescent breakdown. It may, however, slightly increase CO2 injury, and maintaining low CO2 in the CA storage for the first 4-6 weeks is critical. CO2 levels should then be increased as maintaining lower levels will compromise maintenance of firmness. DPA eliminates any concerns of CO2 injury, and there is no need to be concerned about risk of injury.
No guest article this week...
UMass Fruit Advisor: http://umassfruit.com
UMass Extension Fruit Team YouTube Channel
Scaffolds Fruit Journal: http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/scafolds/
Network for Environment and Weather Applications (NEWA): http://newa.cornell.edu
Follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/jmcextman) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/jmcextman)
The next Healthy Fruit will be published on or about September 29, 2020. In the meantime, feel free to contact any of the UMass Fruit Team if you have any fruit-related production questions.
Massachusetts Fruit Growers’ Association