INIA and Ñuble: new post-harvest standards for high quality cherries

The project, promoted by the Ñuble Producers Association and funded by the Regional Government, has allowed researchers at INIA to study the quality of cherries and identify elements that enable the main export varieties to withstand travel to China, anticipating possible losses in firmness and freshness of the fruits.

Chile is the main supplier of cherries to China, exporting about 95% of its total production to this market. In the 2023-2024 season, more than 400,000 tons of Chilean cherries were shipped to the Asian giant. The logistics of this process are designed to ensure that the fruits arrive in optimal condition for the Chinese New Year, although there can always be unforeseen events that may delay unloading.

Faced with the need to improve the post-harvest conditions of cherries, the Ñuble Farmers' Association approached the regional government to request that researchers from INIA work on identifying the conditions that ensure good quality of the fruits, leading to the project “Optimization of Cherry Harvest Management.”

This approach made it possible to address critical aspects of post-harvest, such as the use of suitable harvesting containers, optimal ripening stages, and preservation strategies to ensure the quality of exported fruits.

Differences between varieties and cherry quality

In a seminar attended by over 50 producers from the region, Cristián Balbontín, an INIA Quilamapu researcher and general coordinator of the project, presented the study results on the main cherry varieties grown in Ñuble. He noted that the work focused on analyzing the fruit’s ripening stages and how these impact its quality during storage.

“It is essential to understand how ripening affects the quality of the fruits when they reach the final market, which includes storage time, shelf life, and harvest timing,” Balbontín emphasized, which is fundamental for optimizing the quality of cherries sent to China.

Meanwhile, consultant Christian Gallegos, invited to the seminar, stated that the quality of the fruit results from the decisions made during the pre-harvest and harvest stages. “Quality is built from the opening of the flowers to the harvesting of the fruit from the tree,” he added, stating that the post-harvest stage should focus on maintaining the achieved quality.

Cherry quality before harvest

In the same vein, Balbontín stressed that both the pre-harvest and post-harvest stages must be synchronized. “We can make great efforts in post-harvest, but if the fruit doesn’t have the right quality from the start, it will be very difficult to maintain it.” He also warned that a high-quality fruit can be compromised if not handled properly in post-harvest.

During the project, the importance of differentiating post-harvest management according to cherry variety also emerged. In this regard, Santina, Lapins, Regina, and Kordia, representing 85% of the varieties planted in Chile, behave differently during storage.

“For instance, the Santina variety does not reach the firmness of Kordia, but can increase it during cold storage (...), however, it loses firmness quickly, unlike Kordia,” explained Balbontín. He also added that knowing these details “would allow us to prioritize shipment lots and adapt the treatment of each variety to ensure they arrive in perfect condition.”

Cherry quality analysis

The project has enabled the implementation of laboratory analysis capabilities that provide detailed information on fruit quality, including firmness, weight, soluble solids, titratable acidity, post-harvest disorders, and differentiated storage. The INIA Quilamapu researcher emphasized that the installed capabilities not only support farmers but also industry companies, providing accurate data for informed decision-making regarding fruit management.

Finally, Balbontín stated that the project will soon lead to the publication of a manual compiling the results and recommendations for producers.

During the closing seminar of the project, researchers from INIA La Platina Edgard Álvarez and Bruno Defilippi also participated, along with entrepreneur Sebastián Johnson, who highlighted the importance of considering humidity and temperature conditions in maintaining quality in post-harvest.

Source: Portal Frutícola
Images: Portal Frutícola

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