Champlain Valley Harvest Maturity Program Report: Week 7
Mike Basedow and Jenn Stanton, CCE-ENYCHP, Northern NY
This week we are reporting on Rogers Mac, Honeycrisp, Cortland, NY-1, Macoun, and Ambrosia. The Mac and Honeycrisp block we looked at should be picked through again when there is enough color to justify going through again. The untreated NY-1 blocks are likely ready to pick if they are going to be stored long-term. The untreated Ambrosia block is just about ready for spot picking for long-term storage, and should be monitored closely, and the Macoun block is likely still a week out from being ready to pick.
This week’s samples were collected on Monday September 23rd and processed the same day. Fruit were picked from orchards in Peru. Additional Mac and Honeycrisp picks should continue when you have enough color to justify going through the block again. Cortland are also picking. Untreated NY-1 in Peru are ready to pick if they are going to be stored. Ambrosia are getting close and should be monitored closely, and Macoun are likely still a week out.
Sample size is 10 fruit picked for average maturity, from multiple trees, on both sides of the row for McIntosh, Cortland, and Macoun. Honeycrisp, NY-1, and Ambrosia were “spot-picked” for the reddest fruit.
As blocks continue to receive harvest management PGR’s we 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.
If you haven’t yet had a chance to review it, be sure to also have a look at this year’s storage article: https://blogs.cornell.edu/enychp/uncategorized/2024-cornell-apple-storage-recommendations/
Weekly Summary of Fruit Maturity Progress
McIntosh for 9/23/2024
Comments: Firmness on the remaining fruit sampled is still just above the 15 lb long-term storage recommendation for the block that we looked at this week. Fruit sampled were still below the 5-6 SPI range as well. When we ran the CA cutoff model for macs earlier this summer, the model suggested a CA cutoff date of September 19th for Peru. I don’t think I would store this fruit long term anymore at this point. Instead, I would look at storing these short term or focus on more immediate sales. Testing finished here.
Honeycrisp for 9/23/2024
Comments: We looked at only the later maturing block of Honeycrisp this week. This block has been picked over at least twice. Background color on the reddest remaining fruit is more cream than green at this point. SPI averaged 6.2 in this block. Remaining fruit is still above 14 pounds firmness. Brix is still below 13%. The fruit we tasted had varietal flavor. This block will need an additional pick once there is enough color in the block to justify coming back through again. Testing finished here.
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.
Cortland for 9/23/2024
Comments: In our 10 fruit sample, the highest SPI reached a 2.9 this week. Firmness is still holding fairly well this year. This block is ready for picking, and fruit appear to still be in good condition for long-term storage at this point. If it hasn’t been picked by then, we will test this block again next week.
The long-term CA storage guidelines for Cortland are an SPI range of 2.5-3.5 and firmness above 15 pounds.
NY-1 for 9/23/2024
Comments: Color was very good in the spot picked fruit we sampled this week. Fruit in both blocks were starting to pick up some cream in their background color. Brix is still below the recommended 13-15% range, but fruit are starting to pick up some varietal flavor. Firmness is still holding strong above 18 pounds in each block. Starch is within the 3-5 range in both blocks, however starch is considered very unreliable with this variety. I think these blocks are likely ready for a first pick this week where fruit are destined for long term storage, and harvest can likely continue into next week where they are going to be moved for more immediate sales. While we did not formally test PGR treated blocks, the treated blocks visited today were notably further behind in color and flavor development. We will test these blocks again next week.
For NY-1, you are aiming for a minimum of 2/3 red color. The target color should be a dark red; however, fruit harvested earlier for CA will likely not have perfect color. Target firmness is 15-18 pounds, target brix is 13-15%. The SPI is targeted at 3-5, but this may not be a particularly reliable indicator. Stay in close contact with your individual marketer/packer for harvest timing and marketing plans for your NY-1 blocks.
Macoun for 9/23/2024
Comments: Fruit in this block are still very firm, and are just below an average SPI of 3.0. Flavor was lacking, and starch was still fairly prominent on the taste. I think this block is probably still another week out of being ready for a first pick. We will test this block again next week.
For CA, you’re targeting firmness > 15 lbs, with an SPI of 3-4.5. Note that this is a drop susceptible variety.
Ambrosia for 9/23/2024
Comments: Fruit sampled today are starting to get some initial flavor development, but still have some starch on the back end of the taste. Color was very good within our 10 apples sampled, and background color is starting to change, as evidenced by the DA meter readings. Brix and firmness are in desirable ranges. I think this block might be ready for a spot pick this week if you’re picking for long-term CA storage, and a little further out if you’re looking for shorter term sales. Maturity is reported to go quickly in this variety once things start to move, so watch them closely at this point.
For Ambrosia, target a starch of 2.7 to 3.5 for CA storage, 3.5-5.0 for regular storage, and greater than 5.0 for immediate retail sales. IAD readings of 0.7-0.5 for longer storage, 0.5-0.3 for short term storage, and below 0.3 should be marketed immediately. Target 18-19 lbs firmness, and 11% brix. Once sufficient starch clearing has occurred for your market, harvest all fruit meeting minimum color requirements. Maturation goes quickly in this variety, so once first harvest has occurred, a second should be made within a week. We will test this block again next week.
Next week we will continue testing the Cortland, NY-1, Macoun, and Ambrosia blocks. We will also begin testing NY-2.