Abstract
Fruit from light cropping trees were compared to fruit from trees with a crop load typical of other trees within the same block. One block in each of the Nelson and Hastings districts were evaluated for three consecutive years, 1992-1994. At harvest, fruit from light cropping trees were larger, lower in calcium, higher in potassium, variable in magnesium, higher in flesh firmness, soluble solids, background colour and starch pattern index. After three months storage at 0.5°C and 7 days at 18°C the differences in flesh firmness, soluble solids, and background colour were maintained with similar rates of movement except for soluble solids in light crop fruit. Fruit from light cropping trees developed higher levels of disorders (bitter pit, lenticel blotch, core flush, and Braebum browning disorder), reducing the proportion of sound fruit by up to 35 % compared to fruit from trees with standard croploads. Sensory evaluation rated fruit from light cropping trees unacceptable because of textural changes, dryness, and atypical flavour. The differences identified were consistent between orchards. Fruit from light cropping trees decreased in quality and increased with disorder levels, especially senescent breakdown, as harvest date advanced, and or storage time increased from 3 to 5 months.
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