Identification of Deformation Parameters and Fruit Response to Mechanical Damage in Sweet Cherry1

Abstract

Abstract The incidence of surface pitting and bruises in sweet charries (Prunus avium L. cv. Van) increased with distance of free fall. Mature fruit developed less surface pitting but developed more flattened bruises than less mature fruit in response to impact forces. Increased impact force applied to fruit resulted in a decrease in titratable acidity after storage. Fruit firmness and bioyield determined after storage increased to a maximum with the height of free fall of 45 cm for the intermediate fruit maturity only. Fruit contact with rough surfaces resulted in a significantly higher incidence of surface pitting than in fruit damaged by smooth surfaces.