- Determine the skin colour and fruit size of the fruit in the optimum flesh firmness range. Use these criteria as a guide on which fruit to harvest. Harvest this fruit provided that the TSS and skin colour (if applicable) conforms to the minimum standard.
- Fruit should preferably not be harvested in conditions warmer than 30 °C. Picking should therefore be limited to the mornings or late afternoon.
- Do not harvest immediately after rain. Wait for fruit to dry completely after rain before commencing with harvest.
- If it rained for more than 10 hours and flesh firmness permits, harvesting should be delayed for at least 24 hours.
- Orchards must be harvested at regular intervals to ensure that fruit is harvested in the optimum firmness range. Overripe fruit should not be packed for export as this may lead to rejections or claims even if only a small percentage is overripe.
- Fruit should be picked using the palm of the hand, and not the fingertips, by twisting and pulling the fruit downwards.
- After picking fruit must be kept in the shade and removed from the orchard on a regular basis.
Nectarine
NE2 - Harvesting