Harvesting Practices based on GAP

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this INFORMATION SHEET, the trainee must be able to:

1. Understand the basic principle of harvesting.

2. Familiarizes the harvesting practices based on GAP.

BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR HARVESTING:

Harvest good quality crop.
Maintain hygiene and quality standards during harvesting and throughout the post-harvest chain.
Harvest during the coolest part of the day – early morning or late evening under light conditions.
Protect the harvested produce in the field by keeping it in a shaded environment.

HOW TO HARVEST FRESH PRODUCE:

Vegetables

Either the whole or a part of vegetative growth can be harvested by hands only or sharp knives. Knives must be kept sharp and clean at all times to prevent from spreading virus diseases from plant to plant. Harvesting methods vary with plant parts harvested:
- - - leaves only (spinach, rape, etc.) and lateral buds (Brussels sprouts): the stem is snapped off by hand;
    - above-ground part of the plant (cabbage, lettuce): the main stem is cut through with a heavy knife, and trimming is done in the field (the cut stem must not be placed on the soil);
    - bulbs (green onions, leeks, mature bulb onions): immature green onions can usually be pulled from the soil by hand; leeks, garlic and mature bulb onions are loosened by using a digging fork as for root crops (such as carrots) and lifted by hand.

Flower structures

Immature flower heads (cauliflower, broccoli) can be cut with a sharp knife and trimmed in the field; broccoli can be snapped off by hand and subsequently trimmed.

Fruits

Many ripe fruits and some immature seed-bearing structures, such as legume pods, have a natural break-point of the fruit stalk, which can easily be broken at harvest. Fruit and other seed-bearing structures harvested in the immature or unripe green state are more difficult to pick without causing damage to either the produce or the plant. These are best harvested by cutting them from the plant, using clippers, secateurs or sharp knives. The clippers may be mounted on long poles for tree fruit, with a bag attached to the pole to catch the fruit. Plucking methods vary according to the kind of produce being harvested:
Ripe fruit with a natural break-point, which leaves the stalk attached to the fruit, are best removed by a “lift, twist and pull” series of movements, e.g. apple, passion fruit, tomato.
Mature green or ripe fruit with woody stalks that break at the junction of the fruit and the stalk are best clipped from the tree, leaving up to a centimeter of fruit stalk attached. If the stems are broken off at the fruit itself, disease may enter the stem scar and give rise to stem end rot, e.g. mango, citrus, avocado.
Immature fruit with fleshy stems can be cut with a sharp knife, e.g. zucchini, okra, papaya, capsicum; these can also be harvested by breaking the stem by hand, but this method may damage the plant or fruit and the rough break will be more susceptible to decay than would a clean cut.

RECOMMENDED GOOD HARVESTING PROCEDURES:

Use white clean cloth and gloves.
Use correct clean containers.
Prevent overfilling.
Prevent damaging the fruit, dropping the fruit in to the containers at a distance and rough handling.
Use selective harvesting and correct maturity index.
Use correct equipment and harvesting techniques.
Harvesting time and weather conditions.

HARVESTING CONTAINERS

Rigid containers, such as wooden and plastic crates, and plastic buckets can be used for the field collection of harvested produce. Containers must be smooth, with no sharp edges or projections as these could damage the produce. They must be clean and must not be overfilled. Harvesting bags equipped with either shoulder slings around the neck, or waist slings, can be used for the collection of firm-skinned fruit such as citrus and avocados. They are easy to carry and leave both hands free to harvest. Harvesting bags must be designed to open at the base, so as to allow produce to be emptied easily into a field container without tipping the bag.

Containers used for field collection

HARVESTED PRODUCE:

Must not come into contact with the soil or contaminated surfaces, e.g. surfaces that are visibly contaminated with dirt, oil or chemicals.
Must not be dropped.
Must be gently transferred to collection bins and protected from sun or rain until such time that it can be transported to the pack house.
Cuts and bruises must be avoided during harvesting operation.

PERSONNEL PARTICIPATING IN HARVESTING:

Farm workers who are in direct contact with fresh fruit and vegetables must have good habits of body hygiene and wear clean clothes and cover their hair.
Any farm worker with cuts or wounds, if authorized to continue working, must protect them with waterproof bandages.
They must wash their hands with soap, before starting harvesting of fruit and vegetables and each time they return to the handling areas after a pause, immediately after having used the toilets and after having handled any contaminated product. It is recommended to brush under nails and between nails, rinse and dry the hands with the dry towel. The use of shared towels is not advisable.
Each farm worker must go through hygiene checklist; those who fail hygiene check should be leased to go back home.

THE STATE OF HEALTH OF THE STAFF INVOLVED IN HARVESTING:

Staffs with health problems involving diarrhea or open lesions (skin lesions or infected wounds) constitute risk vectors.
Any person with cuts or wounds must protect themselves in order to avoid any direct contact with the products. A purulent lesion or an infected wound may come into contact with fresh fruit and vegetables or equipment used for their harvesting, and transmit infectious diseases.
Staff known to carry a certain disease or infection must not be authorized to go into the zone where products are handled. Any person in this situation must immediately inform management of the disease or symptoms.

PERSONAL BEHAVIOR DURING HARVEST:

The farm worker must avoid behavior that can lead to contaminating food, such as smoking, spitting, chewing gum, eating, sneezing or coughing, near non protected fruit and vegetables.
Personal belongings, such as jewelry, watches or other objects, must not be worn or taken into fresh fruit and vegetable harvesting zones.

SPECIFIC HARVESTING TRAINING NEEDS:

The methods of evaluating the readiness of the crop for harvest, and the rejection of unsuitable produce at harvest, according to market requirements.
The actual technique to be employed in harvesting produce, e.g. Breaking the stem or plucking, clipping, cutting or digging.
The use of harvest containers and the transfer of produce to field or marketing containers.
The selection of marketable produce at the field assembly point and (if applicable) grading for size and quality.
The correct application of post-harvest treatment (where produce is to be packed on the farm directly into marketing packages), e.g. Fungicides, wax coating.
The method of packing market packages or other containers.

TEMPERATURE MANAGEMENT DURING HARVESTING:

At harvest, the temperature of the fruit is close to that of the ambient air, which varies according to the location and time of year. In order to ensure the lowest possible temperature at harvest, it is generally recommended that fruit and vegetables be harvested during the coolest part of the day, which is usually early morning. Citrus fruits are one exception to this recommendation, given that they are damaged if handled in the morning when they are turgid. Harvest produce must be retained under shade or in a cool temporary storage area, and must be pre-cooled within the shortest period of time in order to remove the field heat.

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