Volume 8, No. 24
September 12, 2000


Maturity Report for week of 9/11/00

McIntosh harvest has started in earnest across the state. The majority of Macs will be picked over the next two weeks. Fruit is currently destined for CA storage or retail and wholesale markets as demand warrants. Maturity has advanced somewhat, however, little pre-harvest drop has been observed except in Marshall McIntosh. Fruit size and red color are generally very good. Gala is ready to be harvested in lower elevations -- remember, the best judge of Gala maturity is a distinct change in background color from green to yellow. Gala generally requires multiple harvests based on this color change. Honeycrisp at lower elevations are showing a wide range of starch-index readings. You are advised to keep a close eye on Honeycrisp. Taste and starch-index readings are the best indicators of Honeycrisp maturity as color varies significantly. Optimum Honeycrisp harvest usually coincides with the peak of McIntosh harvest. Cortland and Macoun are still quite immature.

Average Starch-Index Readings for 9/11/00

Hawley

Marshall McIntosh 3.6
Rogers McIntosh 3.6
Honeycrisp 1.1
Macoun 1.5

Shelburne

Marshall McIntosh 5.0
Pioneer Mac 4.0
Honeycrisp 3.8
Gala 3.2

Deerfield

Marshall McIntosh 6.0
Rogers McIntosh 5.4
Redcort 1.4

Belchertown

McIntosh 5.5
Marshall McIntosh (ReTain) 4.5
Gala 5.8

Fitchburg

McIntosh 6.2
Cortland 1.4
Macoun 2.5

Sterling

McIntosh (ReTain) 4.8
Redcort (ReTain) 1.2
Macoun 1.6

Peabody

Marshall McIntosh 5.4
Cortland 2.8
Macoun (ReTain) 1.8
McIntosh (ReTain) 4.2

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Healthy Fruit is written by Dan Cooley, Ron Prokopy, Jon Clements, Starker Wright, Arthur Tuttle, Wes Autio, Bill Coli, and Duane Greene except where other contributors are noted. Publication is funded in part by the UMass Extension Agroecology Program, grower subscriptions, and the University of Massachusetts IPM Program. A text version can be e-mailed to you if you contact Doreen York. Please cite this source if reprinting information.

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