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.

‘Co-op 39’ (CrimsonCrisp®) was evaluated for the first time this season and are immature (Table 1, Figure 1).

'Simmons' (Buckeye® Gala) were treated with 1 pouch of ReTain® on August 3rd to delay maturation at this orchard. Fruit were sampled on the following day (August 4th), and we would not anticipate seeing meaningful impacts of ReTain® within such a short interval. Starch pattern index rating increased 1.9 fold this week to 4.4 with variation in sampling population ranging from 1 to 7 (Table 2, Figure 2). Despite warm temperatures at night, we observed a 3.5 fold increase in marketable blush from the previous week.

'Ginger Gold' fruit quality parameters have reached maturity (Table 3, Figure 3). The Ginger Gold trees used for sampling are in a commercial u-pick orchard. There are limited available fruit for future sampling and this is the final week of maturity testing for Ginger Gold.

'Honeycrisp' (Royal Red Honeycrisp®) fruit quality parameters, except for marketable blush of 8.55%, are on target for long term storage (Table 4, Figure 4). Warm temperatures at night (mid to upper 60's) are forecast over the next 10 days. Unless we see a major change in our weather pattern, we anticipate that achieving adequate marketable blush on Honeycrisp will be challenging this season.

‘Red Delicious’ remain immature this week (Table 5, Figure 5). Despite sampling this cultivar ~ 1 month earlier than "normal" harvest, it was a bit surprising to see signs of starch degradation already. Fruit firmness was lower than anticipated (17.4 lbs.), too. Warm nighttime temperatures and/or crop load effects may be influential here. This variety will be interesting to track over the next few weeks.

Sweet Maia® (MAIA-SM) were harvested this past week and at an appropriate time for immediate fresh market sales per last weeks fruit quality results (Table 6, Figure 6).

If of interest, please see our previous posts for more detailed information on how to manage fruit maturity. Specifically:

• Using PGRs to Manage Apple Preharvest Drop, Fruit Maturity, and Harvest Timing
• Apple Harvest Management Considerations: Special Focus on Gala

When should I harvest?

Optimal harvest timing is dictated by multiple factors, especially the intended market. While one size does not fit all, please see this resource from Michigan State University for some general guidelines.

Acknowledgements

We are very grateful for the cooperation of Pat Lancaster and the team at Grandad's Apples for hosting this project. Thank you for your generous access to your farm and fruit! This work would not be possible without my excellent colleague, co-author, and technician, Tatiana Zuber. We sincerely appreciate the great work of the Henderson County Master Pomology Program. This dedicated team of volunteers inspired the initiation of this pilot program and is assisting with data collection. I will share more information about this group in the near future.