Vine rolling vs. conventional multiple harvest of cucumbers.
Wehner, T. C.; Miller, C. H.;
Postharvest handling of tropical fruits: Proceedings of an International Conference, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 19-23 July 1993 Year: 1994 Issue: No. 16 Pages: 5-7 Ref: 4 ref.
1994
บทคัดย่อ
ABSTRACT :
Most field cucumber crops in North Carolina are harvested 2-3 times/week for 2-4 weeks in the spring and summer production seasons. A study was conducted to determine if harvesting was faster and easier if the vines were rolled over during picking, which could improve recovery of fruits hidden near the base of the plant. Plots were planted on 22 July with the gynoecious hybrid cultivars Calypso (for pickling) and Slicemaster (for slicing) and thinned to a density of 86 450 plants/ha. Border rows were planted with pollenizers cv. Sumter (pickling) cv. Poinsett 76 (slicing), both monoecious. Harvests were made twice a week from 26 Aug. to 7 Sep. for pickling crops and from 30 Aug. to 10 Sep. for slicing crops, comparing vine rolling (from side to side by 2 workers) with conventional searching of the canopy for marketable-sized fruits. Vines were left in their rolled-up state after harvest and were not laid back over the soil. Data are tabulated on yield/ha, harvesting time, average size grade and
percentage of fruits in each size grade. Yield differences between the 2 methods were significant for fruit weight, but not for fruit value ($/ha) with pickling cucumbers and were not significant for yield of slicing cucumbers. Vine rolling resulted in lower yield (68% of the yield with conventional harvesting for pickling cucumbers) and took longer (18% more for pickling and 2% more for slicing cucumbers) than conventional harvesting. However, it resulted in a significantly higher percentage of No. 1 grade and lower percentages of No. 3 and No. 4 grades. In slicing cucumbers, rolling resulted in fewer top grade (Fancy and No. 1) fruits than the conventional method, indicating there was more stress or less effective pollination. Rolling took longer, and although there was less damage to the vines the effect was not translated into increased yield in the short (2 week) period of harvest.