Champlain Valley Harvest Maturity Program Report: Week 5
Mike Basedow and Jenn Stanton, CCE-ENYCHP, Northern NY
This week we are reporting on Gala, McIntosh, and Honeycrisp. The Retained Gala block may be ready for a spot picking for long term storage come the end of the week. The McIntosh block are likely ready for picking this week. The Honeycrisp blocks are also likely ready for a first or second picking this week, depending on the block.
This week’s samples were collected Monday September 9th and processed the same day. Fruit were picked from orchards in Peru.
Sample size is 10 fruit picked for average maturity, from multiple trees, on both sides of the row for the McIntosh. Honeycrisp and Gala were “spot-picked” for the most red fruit.
As blocks receive harvest management PGR’s I will update their treatment in the final data column so you can better compare against your blocks.
Due to the large amount of variability associated with strains, rootstock selections, planting systems, the widespread use of ReTain, Harvista, ethephon, and local orchard microclimates, it is impossible to sample and process enough locations to make specific harvest recommendations. ENYCHP HMP data is meant to be used as a general indicator of apple harvest maturity, and nothing more.
When we have them, we’ll also include data from previous years to serve as a comparison.
Weekly Summary of Fruit Maturity Progress
Gala for 9/9/2024
Comments: Color was very good in the sampled fruit we looked at this week. Background color is also changing to more of a cream than green in most of the apples we looked at. DA has come down since last week, but is still above 0.4. SPI and brix remained low, and fruit are still very firm. Flavor was still fairly mild. I think this block could benefit from more time, though the DA reading and the changing background colors suggest it might be getting close to a first picking, possibly later this week, if fruit are going to be destined for long term storage.
For Gala, firmness is not a major issue, and the starch pattern is an unreliable indicator of maturity. It is not uncommon to have a range of 1-7 or 2-8 in SPI’s from one 10 apple sample from a block, in which all the fruit (externally) look to be of nearly the same maturity. However, you want to target an average SPI of 3-4 for longer-term CA fruit and 5-6 for short-term RA fruit. Target a brix above 12%, and varietal flavor development. For long term CA stored fruit, you do not need to wait for background color change from light green to cream. Fruit with a bright yellow background are over-mature and should not be stored long-term, instead market these fruit immediately. DA for long term storage is generally above 0.4. We will continue testing these blocks next week.
McIntosh for 9/9/2024
Comments: The Ruby Mac block was picked clean since my last update, so this week I am only reporting on the Roger Macs. Starch still remains below the 5-6 cutoff range for CA storage. I thought flavor was good in the fruit I sampled, though the starch was still somewhat noticeable. I think the Rogers Mac can likely be picked through later this week as well. When I ran the CA cutoff model for macs earlier this summer, the model suggested a CA cutoff date of September 17th for Peru, about a week from now.
For long-term storage with Macs, you are targeting a firmness of >15 lbs, and an SPI of 5-6. Note that starch conversion can be variable. We will continue testing the Rogers Mac block next.
Roger Mac starch test today, averaging at a 3.4. 
Honeycrisp for 9/9/2024
Comments: I looked at two Honeycrisp blocks this week. The first block has had a spot pick at this point, while the second has not yet been harvested. Background is starting to change from green to a greenish-cream in both blocks, with a bit more cream and lower DA values in block 1 compared to block 2. SPI is slightly more advanced in block 1, though SPI is not very helpful in this variety. Fruit are still holding above 14 lbs firmness, while brix is still below 13%. The fruit I tasted in both blocks had some flavor. Given the slightly higher SPI in block 1, I think this block is ready for another pick through if fruit are destined for CA storage. Block 2 is getting close, but I think we think it might be closer to the end of the week or early next week.
To determine harvest readiness, look for color that “jumps out” when the yellow background color makes the red almost florescent or iridescent. Ideal is the ground color turning to cream with 80% bright red cheek. SPI is not relevant, but generally they’re over 7 in most fruit that are ready to pick. Target 5-6 for fruit destined for CA. A firmness greater than 14 pounds and a brix above 13% are desirable. Stem clipping is tedious, but will reduce the incidence of stem punctures in this high-value apple. Once color change has happened, then an every other day walk-through is warranted to determine readiness. We will continue testing these blocks next week.
We will continue testing the Gala, Mac, and Honeycrisp blocks next week, and will also begin testing Cortland and NY-1.