Potential passing capacity of fruit seed crops and factors of its formation
The keeping quality of fruits is largely determined by their varietal affiliation. However, fruits of the same variety, grown in different conditions, may have different keeping quality. In the process of formation, the fruits are exposed to many environmental factors that affect their potential keeping quality. It is important to determine the optimal time for harvesting and storing products. To lengthen storage times and reduce losses, crops should be harvested in the period prior to full physiological maturity. Fruits stored at this stage continue to ripen gradually. The intensity of this process can be regulated by the conditions of the storage itself. Unripe fruits, along with a shortage of harvest, reduce the storage efficiency: they lose moisture faster; wither and are more exposed to some physiological diseases. Late harvest increases losses - fruit shedding, acceleration, ripening during storage, which reduces the potential keeping capacity. Our research was carried out in 2019 in the conditions of Baksana Gardens LLC, located in the Baksan region of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. We analyzed winter apple varieties - Jonathan and late winter ones - Renet Simirenko, Renet Champagne. It was found that the delay in the delivery of products reduces the storage time and reduces the yield of standard fruits. While awaiting shipment, they are in natural conditions and the activity of their vital activity is quite high, which significantly reduces their potential keeping capacity. According to the data received, in the autumn period, an average of 20-25% of non-standard products and defects (technical and absolute) were received annually. When stored locally, this figure does not exceed 5-7% on average. It has been determined that the scheme garden - commodity processing - transportation - storage - preparation for sale - implementation reduces the potential storage capacity, since the wax coating is disturbed, mechanical damage to fruits occurs, which is inevitable during commodity processing and transportation. The most effective scheme is garden - storage - commodity processing - transportation - sale, since storage of products after commodity processing is always associated with large losses. In practically this state, the fruits stored in boxes had to be removed from storage in February. Thus, apples that have not undergone commercial processing, transported and stored in containers (which were loaded directly in the garden), have a higher keeping quality. In addition, the use of containers allows for more efficient use of storage and transport capacity, facilitates the mechanization of all labor-intensive processes.