Tag: harvest indices

• Maturity indices are signs or measurements indicating readiness for harvest.
• Correct harvest stage ensures optimal quality, shelf life, and market value.
• Improper timing leads to poor flavor, texture, and increased post-harvest losses.
• India loses 25–30% of produce due to improper harvest timing.

• Maturity: Stage when fruit/vegetable is fully developed and can ripen normally.
• Ripening: Qualitative changes after maturity making produce edible.
• Harvesting at correct maturity is crucial for quality and storage.

• Physiological maturity: End of development; ability to ripen after harvest (mainly for fruits).
• Horticultural (Commercial) maturity: Stage preferred by consumers; depends on intended use.
• Climacteric fruits: Harvest at mature but unripe stage.
• Non-climacteric fruits: Harvest at ripe stage.

• Ensure sensory and nutritional quality.
• Provide adequate shelf life and facilitate marketing.
• Help standardize harvest timing and improve productivity.
• Balance between shelf life and eating quality.

1. Subjective (Qualitative): Color, size, shape, firmness, aroma, sound.
2. Objective (Quantitative): TSS, acidity, starch content, oil content, firmness, dry matter, days after bloom, heat units, respiration, ethylene production.

• Size and shape: Final size/shape indicates maturity (e.g., mango cheeks, banana angularity).
• Color: Loss of green or development of characteristic color.
• Firmness: Softening indicates maturity (measured by penetrometer).
• Specific gravity: Increases with maturity; used for grading.

• Total Soluble Solids (TSS): Measured by refractometer; indicates sugar content.
• Titratable acidity (TA): Determined by titration; used with TSS for sugar-acid ratio.
• Calendar date/days after full bloom: Useful where climate is stable.
• Heat units: Degree-days required for maturity.

• Respiration rate: Climacteric rise indicates harvest time in some fruits.
• Ethylene evolution: Peaks at maturity in climacteric fruits.
• Volatile production: Specific aroma compounds signal maturity (e.g., apple, banana).

• Simple, easy, and inexpensive to use.
• Objective and related to quality and storage life.
• Show progressive change with maturity.
• Allow prediction from year to year.

• Affected by soil, nutrition, irrigation, climate, and variety.
• Position on plant and cultural practices influence indices.
• Visual indices may mislead due to environmental variation.

• Peel color change on shoulders.
• Tapka method: natural fruit drop.
• Specific gravity: 1.01–1.02.
• Days from fruit set to maturity.

Banana

• Disappearance of angularity; round fingers.
• Pulp:peel ratio 1.2–1.6; pH 5.2–5.6.
• Harvest at 75–80% maturity for distant markets.

Guava

• Color change from dark to light green.
• Specific gravity ~1.0.
• 17–20 weeks from fruit set to maturity.

• TSS: 16–24% (variety-dependent).
• Peel color, pulp texture, flavor, easy berry separation.

Papaya

• Skin color change at apex or yellow streaks.
• Latex becomes watery.

Pineapple

• 25% surface yellow for local market.
• Flattened eyes, TSS:acid ratio 21–27.

Jackfruit

• Dull, hollow sound when tapped.
• Spines widely spaced, aromatic odor.

• Rind color change (species-specific).
• TSS:acid ratio (e.g., sweet orange 8.5–8.9).
• Minimum juice content standards.

Pomegranate

• 135–170 days after anthesis.
• Peel color change, hard rind, metallic sound.

Sapota

• Dull orange/potato color, minimal latex.
• Disappearance of brown scaly surface.

• TSS, color change, firmness, ease of separation.
• Iodine test for starch breakdown.

Strawberry

• 2/3 to 3/4 red color for local markets.

Peach/Plum

• Days from full bloom, size, firmness, color, sugar:acid ratio.

Ber, Date Palm, Litchi, Fig, Custard Apple, Aonla

• Color change, TSS, acid ratio, specific gravity, days after pollination, sound, texture, and aroma as indices.

• Physiological maturity: Maximum growth and development.
• Commercial maturity: Stage required by market; varies by crop and edible part.
• Harvest timing affects marketability, storage, and quality.

• Curds 4–8 in. diameter, compact, white, smooth.

Cabbage

• Heads hard and solid, uniform color.

Broccoli

• Dark green, compact head, before yellow flowers appear.

Brussels Sprouts

• Sprouts 1–1.5 in. diameter, firm.

• Harvested from mature green to fully red, depending on market.

Eggplant

• Glossy, purplish-black or white color, 6–8 in. diameter.

Beans

• Pods filled with seeds, green, not yellowing.

Okra

• Pods 3–5 in. long, tender.

• Bulbs 2–4 in. diameter, tops fall over and dry.

Peas

• Pods fully developed, seeds not more than half full size.

Pepper

• Firm, crisp, full-sized; color depends on cultivar.

Potato

• Harvest when plants yellow and die down; avoid sun exposure.

• Full size, firm, glossy rind, ground spot cream to orange.

Cucumber

• Bright deep green, 2–3 in. long, before yellowing.

Watermelon

• Dull sound when thumped, yellow ground spot, brown tendrils.

Muskmelon

• Stem slips easily, netting rounded, flesh color change.

• Roots 1 in. diameter, dark tops.

Turnip

• Roots 2–3 in. diameter, tops 3–5 in. long.

Radish

• Roots 1 in. diameter, shoulders visible, avoid over-maturity.

Spinach

• Leaves 4–6 in. long, harvested at base.

• Maturity indices are essential for optimal harvest timing and quality.
• Indices vary by crop, variety, and intended use.
• Combination of visual, physical, chemical, and physiological indices is best.
• Proper harvest reduces losses and improves marketability.