Effect of harvesting with a trunk shaker and an abscission chemical on fruit detachment and defoliation of citrus grown under Mediterranean conditions

Spain ranks as the world's leading exporter of citrus for fresh consumption. Manual harvest accounts for 50% of the total production costs. Mechanical harvest would increase labor productivity and benefits of growers. Efficiency of these machines depends on the varieties and operating conditions...

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Autores principales: Moreno, Rosana, Torregrosa, Antonio, Moltó, Enrique, Chueca, Patricia
Formato: article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2017
Materias:
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/5696
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author Moreno, Rosana
Torregrosa, Antonio
Moltó, Enrique
Chueca, Patricia
author_browse Chueca, Patricia
Moltó, Enrique
Moreno, Rosana
Torregrosa, Antonio
author_facet Moreno, Rosana
Torregrosa, Antonio
Moltó, Enrique
Chueca, Patricia
author_sort Moreno, Rosana
collection ReDivia
description Spain ranks as the world's leading exporter of citrus for fresh consumption. Manual harvest accounts for 50% of the total production costs. Mechanical harvest would increase labor productivity and benefits of growers. Efficiency of these machines depends on the varieties and operating conditions. Use of abscission chemicals has been promoted to increase the detachment rate of fruit without affecting its quality. This work is aimed at studying whether the mechanical harvest and/or the application of an abscission agent affect the quality and quantity of harvested fruit and tree defoliation under the conditions of citrus cultivation in Spain. Trials were made in a completely randomized experimental design. From 2008 to 2011, different orchards of mandarin and orange trees were sprayed with different doses of ethephon as abscission agent and harvested with a trunk shaker. Harvest related variables (detachment percentage, defoliation and fruit without calyx) were measured. The percentage of fruit detached by the trunk shaker ranged between 70 and 85% and it did not depend on the orchard. The shaker produced minimal damage to the bark when gripped incorrectly. Increased doses of ethephon increased fruit detachment except in 'Clemenules' orchard, but also increased the fruit without calyx in 1-9%. Moreover, ethephon promoted significant defoliation. Neither gummosis nor death of branches was observed. This work demonstrates that mechanical harvesting with trunk shakers may be a feasible solution for citrus cultivated in Spain for fresh market. Use of ethephon could only be recommended for citrus destined to industry and only for certain varieties.
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spelling ReDivia56962025-04-25T14:44:36Z Effect of harvesting with a trunk shaker and an abscission chemical on fruit detachment and defoliation of citrus grown under Mediterranean conditions Moreno, Rosana Torregrosa, Antonio Moltó, Enrique Chueca, Patricia mechanization orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb) clementine (Citrus clementina Hort. ex Tan.) ethephon efficiency FACTORS AFFECTING RESPONSE VALENCIA ORANGE FRUIT CMN-PYRAZOLE 2-CHLOROETHYLPHOSPHONIC ACID MECHANICAL HARVEST ETHYLENE EVOLUTION WATER RELATIONS CANOPY SHAKER SWEET ORANGE Spain ranks as the world's leading exporter of citrus for fresh consumption. Manual harvest accounts for 50% of the total production costs. Mechanical harvest would increase labor productivity and benefits of growers. Efficiency of these machines depends on the varieties and operating conditions. Use of abscission chemicals has been promoted to increase the detachment rate of fruit without affecting its quality. This work is aimed at studying whether the mechanical harvest and/or the application of an abscission agent affect the quality and quantity of harvested fruit and tree defoliation under the conditions of citrus cultivation in Spain. Trials were made in a completely randomized experimental design. From 2008 to 2011, different orchards of mandarin and orange trees were sprayed with different doses of ethephon as abscission agent and harvested with a trunk shaker. Harvest related variables (detachment percentage, defoliation and fruit without calyx) were measured. The percentage of fruit detached by the trunk shaker ranged between 70 and 85% and it did not depend on the orchard. The shaker produced minimal damage to the bark when gripped incorrectly. Increased doses of ethephon increased fruit detachment except in 'Clemenules' orchard, but also increased the fruit without calyx in 1-9%. Moreover, ethephon promoted significant defoliation. Neither gummosis nor death of branches was observed. This work demonstrates that mechanical harvesting with trunk shakers may be a feasible solution for citrus cultivated in Spain for fresh market. Use of ethephon could only be recommended for citrus destined to industry and only for certain varieties. 2017-06-01T10:12:51Z 2017-06-01T10:12:51Z 2015 MAR article publishedVersion Moreno, Rosana, Torregrosa, A., Moltó, E., Chueca, P. (2015). Effect of harvesting with a trunk shaker and an abscission chemical on fruit detachment and defoliation of citrus grown under Mediterranean conditions. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research, 13(1), -. 1695-971X http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/5696 10.5424/sjar/2015131-6590 en openAccess Impreso
spellingShingle mechanization
orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb)
clementine (Citrus clementina Hort. ex Tan.)
ethephon
efficiency
FACTORS AFFECTING RESPONSE
VALENCIA ORANGE FRUIT
CMN-PYRAZOLE
2-CHLOROETHYLPHOSPHONIC ACID
MECHANICAL HARVEST
ETHYLENE EVOLUTION
WATER RELATIONS
CANOPY SHAKER
SWEET ORANGE
Moreno, Rosana
Torregrosa, Antonio
Moltó, Enrique
Chueca, Patricia
Effect of harvesting with a trunk shaker and an abscission chemical on fruit detachment and defoliation of citrus grown under Mediterranean conditions
title Effect of harvesting with a trunk shaker and an abscission chemical on fruit detachment and defoliation of citrus grown under Mediterranean conditions
title_full Effect of harvesting with a trunk shaker and an abscission chemical on fruit detachment and defoliation of citrus grown under Mediterranean conditions
title_fullStr Effect of harvesting with a trunk shaker and an abscission chemical on fruit detachment and defoliation of citrus grown under Mediterranean conditions
title_full_unstemmed Effect of harvesting with a trunk shaker and an abscission chemical on fruit detachment and defoliation of citrus grown under Mediterranean conditions
title_short Effect of harvesting with a trunk shaker and an abscission chemical on fruit detachment and defoliation of citrus grown under Mediterranean conditions
title_sort effect of harvesting with a trunk shaker and an abscission chemical on fruit detachment and defoliation of citrus grown under mediterranean conditions
topic mechanization
orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb)
clementine (Citrus clementina Hort. ex Tan.)
ethephon
efficiency
FACTORS AFFECTING RESPONSE
VALENCIA ORANGE FRUIT
CMN-PYRAZOLE
2-CHLOROETHYLPHOSPHONIC ACID
MECHANICAL HARVEST
ETHYLENE EVOLUTION
WATER RELATIONS
CANOPY SHAKER
SWEET ORANGE
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/5696
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