In cooperation with the Henderson County Master Pomology Program, we initiated an effort to monitor apple fruit maturity in commercial orchards in Henderson County, NC. The goal of this program is to provide timely updates regarding fruit maturity of several apple cultivars in the region. Data will be presented weekly to commercial apple growers via web-based updates to partly aid in harvest management decisions. Please note that the data presented is limited to the specific orchard block that we used for sampling. Do not assume that fruit at your location are at the same stage of maturity. To be clear, there is no substitute for regular monitoring of fruit quality parameters at your own operation.
Weekly Update (09.04.2025)
‘Co-op 39’ (Crimson Crisp®) apples were harvested last week and thus at an appropriate maturity stage for long term storage.
‘Red Delicious’ fruit quality parameters remain mostly unchanged from last weeks assessment (Table 1, Figure 1). Starch pattern index rating averaged 4.2 this week increasing 1.2x from the previous week. A 6% decrease in both fruit firmness and fruit weight was observed. Soluble solids continue to remain low at 9.1%, where target specification is 12-14%.
‘Smoothee’ (Gibson Golden Delicious) fruit quality parameters this week suggest these apples are nearly acceptable for harvest for long term storage (Table 2, Figure 2).
Granny Smith were evaluated as part of this report for the first time this season. Starch pattern index rating averaged 2.9 and soluble solids 11.6 which are nearly on target for harvest for long term storage purposes (Table 3, Figure 3).
If of interest, please see the following posts for more detailed information on PGRs to manage fruit maturity and harvest maturity timing. Specifically:
