Avocado Avocado Postharvest Postharvest Handling Handling

Major California Avocado Cultivars

Bacon

Fuerte

Gwen

Hass

Lamb Hass

Pinkerton

Reed

Zutano

Susceptibility to low storage temperatures

External Chilling Injury

Internal Chilling Injury

Body Rot

Postharvest Postharvest Diseases Diseases

Stem End Rot

Anthracnose Body Rot

Alternaria Stem End Rot

Dothiorella Stem End Rot

What What we we know know about about the the avocado avocado fruit fruit
It is a climacteric fruit showing an increase in respiration and ethylene production during ripening Influenced by maturity, time after harvest, temperature and atmosphere
150 Carbon Dioxide Ethylene 100
ml CO2/kg/hr

400 ul C2H4/kg/hr 300 200

Adapted from Eaks (1978) for Hass

50 100 0 0

Days at 68F

High Temperature Effects on Hass Fruit Respiration and Ethylene Production (Eaks, 1978)
400 150 300 200 100 Carbon Dioxide 50 Ethylene 68 77 86 Temperature (F) 95 100 0 104

ul C2H4/kg/hr

ml CO2/kg/hr

Peak respiratory rate and ethylene production. Fruit held continuously at temperature.

Field Operations Operations Field

Minimum Maturity Standards
Dry Weight

Harvesting Methods Bin Holding Multiple Harvests per year

California switched switched to to Dry Dry Matter Matter in in 80s 80s from from oil oil California content content Relationship between between dry dry wet wet and and oil oil Relationship Also raised raised minimum minimum maturity maturity based based on on Also sensory evaluation evaluation sensory

Work of Lee et al. (UCR)

Current California California Minimum Minimum Maturity Maturity Current Standards (last revised 2/98) Standards (last revised 2/98)
DRY MATTER % 17.7 18.7 18.7 19.0 20.8 21.6 24.2 VARIETIES Bacon Zutano Reed Fuerte Hass Pinkerton Gwen

Date/Size Maturity Releases

Industry interest in harvest dates by size and variety. Model developed to predict the date when dry matter will reach minimum maturity (Ranney et al). Date/Size maturity releases allow avocados to move in a uniform manner. Avocados can still be harvested before the release dates, but they will be tested for minimum maturity standard.

Regulated by CA Dept of Food and Ag

Hass size size and and release release dates dates Hass
size 40 and larger Nov 28 size 48 Dec 12 size 60 Jan 2 size 70 and smaller Jan 16

Freeze Damage Damage Freeze

Sunburn Sunburn

Fruit clipped clipped Fruit Trees are are tall tall ladder ladder work work Trees and picking picking poles poles required required and Bins moved moved to to receiving receiving Bins area area Bins hold approx. 900 lbs

Considerations Considerations in in the the grove grove

Avoid picking when temperatures are high especially with late season fruit Avoid picking during or shortly after a rain event more decay Keep fruit in a cool place, out of the sun; high temperatures can impact ripening and increase decay Minimize delays from time of harvest to cooling

Packing Operations Operations Packing

Bins cooled overnight Dry dump Brushing (waxing) Labeling/weight sizing Packing

Bin Dump

Labeling and Sizing by weight

Grading

Tray Tray Pack Pack

Volume Fill Fill Volume

RPC RPC

Shrink Wrapped Wrapped Shrink

Bagging Bagging and all all combinations combinations and

Box weights calibrated and final quality inspection

Palletization

From US packinghouses often shipped in mixed loads; Imports either in break bulk vessels or CA containers Most imported fruit handled by CA packers

Avocado Storage Storage and and Transit Transit Avocado

California fruit marketed within 1 2 weeks of harvest; storage at 5C US imports arrivals vary in time after harvest:
<10 days (Mexico) 12 21 days (Chile) approximately 28 days (New Zealand)

Fruit from Chile and New Zealand may be shipped in Controlled Atmosphere containers Fruit quality has been mixed on longer transit times. What does the future hold once 1-MCP is widely used???????????

There are problems with fruit arrivals

Relationship between fruit age and unsound fruit

100 90

2000 2001 2002 y = 0 + 0.02762*exp(days/5.203) 2 r = 0.82, n= 50, p<0.001

% Unsound fruit (5% threshold)

80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44

Age when ripe (days)

Dixon, Pak and Cutting

RIPE FOR TONIGHT Increasing importance for both domestic and imported fruit Ethylene treatment can occur at packinghouse, distribution points or specialty handlers

Why Why Ripen Ripen Avocados? Avocados?

Untreated, fruit ripening may range from a few days to even weeks within a carton

Increase Uniformity Decrease Checkerboarding

Ethylene Ethylene dose dose considerations considerations

Ethylene concentration
>20 ppm; no more than 100 ppm

Fruit Maturity
Less mature; longer treatment

Time after Harvest

With increasing time after harvest; shorter durations needed

How How much much to to apply? apply?

10, 100 ppm

1 ppm 0 ppm

Short exposures to ethylene can trigger ripening Threshold is believed to be around 10 ppm Commercial application of 20 - 100 ppm is recommended

Source: I. L. Eaks, UC, Riverside

Time Time after after harvest harvest

Average Days to Eating Ripeness (<1.5 lbf) in response to ethylene and storage at 41F. Fruit treated with 40 ppm ethylene for 24 hours.

Harvest Date 1/25/00 1/25/00

Harvest Date

3/7/00

3/7/00

4/18/00

4/18/00

Ethylene hastens ripening regardless of stage of maturity Time after harvest decreases the impact of ethylene

6/1/00

6/1/00

7/11/00

7/11/00

8/22/00 0 5 Days 10

Ethylene

NO

YES 15

8/22/00 0 5 Days 10

Ethylene

NO

YES 15

0 weeks @ 41F

3 weeks @ 41F

Suggested Suggested treatment treatment times times for for California California Hass Hass avocados avocados
Early season fruit (November February) 36 72 hours Mid-season fruit (March June)

24 36 hours 8 - 24 hours

Late season fruit (July October)

Time Time after after harvest harvest

Ethylene has maximum benefit within 1-2 weeks of harvest Imported fruit (i.e. Chile) if conventional shipment will need less time (24 hours or less) Imported fruit if CA or 1-MCP

treated shipped may need longer treatment times

Management Management Issues Issues

Temperature Ventilation/Air exchanges Careful Monitoring Prompt Movement of fruit What is the proper stage of ripeness? Where do you ripen the fruit?

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Temperature Temperature Management Management

Efficient warming/cooling of fruit essential Airflow essential to maintain proper pulp temperature (20C; 68F) Impact of high temperatures (>21C; 70F)
Delayed/uneven ripening Increased decay

Ventilation Ventilation
Buildup of carbon dioxide (inhibits ethylene action) Airflow essential to maintain proper pulp temperature (68F) Preliminary data suggests that short durations of high carbon dioxide (up to 5%) can be tolerated

Problems Problems that that you you can can find find at at the the retail retail level level in in spite spite of of doing doing it it right right

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Market Fruit Quality Surveys

Conducted in collaboration with CAC Merchandising Staff

Example of fruit shriveling

Example of an overripe fruit with stem end rot, body rot and internal bruising

Example of a stem end rot

Example of body rots

A.

B.

A. Fruit with no bruising under the peel. B. Fruit which is very overripe and is exhibiting bruising under the peel.

A.

B.

C.

A. Very ripe fruit compressed by other fruit on display. B. Example of internal bruising. C. Very ripe fruit showing severe internal damage.

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Squeezing!!!!! Squeezing!!!!! a.k.a. compression a.k.a. compression damage damage

Fruit squeezed at nearly ripe stage

The average incidence of fruit quality problems judged to be either slight or moderate to severe

100 90 Moder atetoS ever e 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 F ir m ness S hr ivel Inter nal Br uising Br uisingunder Peel Body Rot S temEndRot S light

% of total fruit

O bserved P roblem

Market Survey, 2005

Considerations for for successful successful Considerations avocado ripening ripening avocado
Temperature management is CRITICAL

Checklist Quality; dont use stressed fruit Standardize fruit size and maturity Uniform warming and cooling Careful monitoring; dont overripen

Fruit Maturity

Too high; ripening inhibited and increased decay Too low; ripening is slowed and lose benefit More mature; less time After storage; less time

Time after Harvest

Avoids delays in marketing Minimize fruit handling

CONSUMER/MARKET Education

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Solving problems at the marketplace

Ethylene treatment of fruit increasing and becoming an important tool to make the avocado more consumer friendly Consequence of handling ripe fruit MORE Physical damage A problem NO MATTER the source an opportunity to work with other industries Coordination with HAB?

Limitations to to avocado avocado Limitations postharvest handling handling postharvest

Fruit maturity and quality at time of ripeness Time after harvest (fruit age) Stage of ripeness more difficult to handle ripe fruit

Additional Additional information information

Ripe-Max program
http://avocado.org/merchandising/index.phtml

Industry reports
http://avocado.org/growers.phtml

Information on avocados in general from around the world

www.avocadosource.com

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