Effects of Mechanical Harvesting on The

Development of mechanical harvesters have been important research objectives for research scientists in Land-Grant Institutions, in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and in private industry in recent years. These developments have resulted in a revolution in mechanical harvesting and resulted in the need for new handling methods for the mechanically harvested crop. Quality of the raw product as well as that of the finished product can depend upon conditions during harvesting, handling, transporting, and processing. These can be influenced by environmental conditions, cultivar, cultural practices, and handling procedures prior to processing. Mechanical harvesting has shown a high degree of success in the small fruit and grape industry when these influences are considered. More and more the techniques associated with mechanical harvesting that are necessary to achieve quality in small fruit crops and grapes and their products are being discovered. Most small fruit crops for processing can now be mechanically harvested with varying degrees of success; however, this report will concentrate on the influence of mechanical harvesting on quality of cane fruits, strawberries, blueberries, and grapes. These crops were selected since they serve to illustrate the different types of quality problems that have been encountered. Also, solutions to quality problems will be discussed for each of these crops.