Strawberry Clonal Fruit Yield and Quality Responses to Hand Picking Prior to Once-over Machine Harvest1

Abstract

Abstract Four of 7 strawberry (Fragaria X ananassa Duch.) clones tested did not benefit in total yield from 1 or 2 hand pickings prior to once-over machine harvest. Four of the clones could be hand picked once without a significant reduction in machine harvested yields. Two clones were low yielding regardless of the harvest method. ‘Sunrise’, a high once-over yielding clone, increased in total yield with hand harvesting but fruit were soft and poorly colored and lacked good field holding and in-plant handling capabilities. ‘Cardinal’ represented a clone with fruit quality and a ripening pattern suitable to a combination of hand and machine harvesting. Fruit remaining on the plants after 1 or 2 hand harvests had a higher percentage of ripe fruit in the once-over harvest than machine harvested fruit not preceded by a hand harvest. The composite once-over machine harvested fruit after 1 or 2 hand pickings showed the same or higher soluble solids, shear press firmness, puree viscosity and color intensity as hand harvested fruit. In clones with high quality fruit, the presence of immature fruit in the onceover harvest did not detract from puree color or flavor acceptability. Selection A-5344 possessed both yield and quality characteristics desired for a completely mechanized harvest for processing.