Harvest Maturity
- Skin Colour
Not applicable.
- Total Soluble Solids (TSS%)
Minimum 11.0
- Flesh Firmness
Maximum : 8.5
Minimum : 5.5 (Air freight 1.5 lower than minimum)
Optimum : 7.0 (Not for inspection purposes)
Note: Maximum flesh firmness may increase with 0.5 kg for each 1% increase in the minimum TSS
- Harvesting
Due to the propensity of Sunkiss to develop rub marks it should be harvested during the cooler parts of the day. For more information on harvesting see Generic information [PL2]
Other Quality Requirements At Pack
- Quality Requirements
Packaging And Cold Storage
- Internal Packaging (Standard Loose Pack)
Standard 5 kg loose pack
- Use 300 x 400 mm pulp or plastic trays.
- Use one white poly-urethane foam pad(3mm) on tray and between plums and top tray as well as two foam pads on top of the fruit in the top layer.
- Note: More foam pads can be used on top of the fruit in the top layers in boxes in the top three layers of the pallet, if there is still space between the box lid and the foam pads (To prevent rub marks).
- Punnets
- No special requirement. Jumble packaging not recommended due to risk of rubmarks.
- Other Packs
Refer to stone fruit industry packaging guidelines Pome Stone Handling Protocols
- Pallets
Use a top deck on top of the pallet cap on the top layer. The aim is to immobilize the fruit on the top layers to prevent rub marks.
- Cold Storage
- The default temperature regime for Sunkiss plums is PD7. Harvest maturity, market and skin colour must be taken into consideration when selecting the shipping regime.
- The maximum recommended cold storage period for Sunkiss plums in the standard loose pack is 35 days from the harvest date.
- Internal disorders develop exponentially during cold storage and cold storage should be as short as possible. For generic information on internal browning see [PL5]
For Generic Information on handling after harvest, cooling, shipping and shipping regimes [PL4]