ASSESSMENT OF HARVEST TIME FOR RED DELICIOUS CV. THOUGH HARVEST INDEXES IN ALBANIA

R. Damo, P. Icka

Abstract: The apple fruits are one of the most profitable crops in Albania. The increase to the number and surface of orchards during last decade is accompanied by storage problems. One of the major problems in apple storage is the determination of optimal harvest time. The traditional maturity indicators do not give the clear situation of maturity processes, for this reason usage of maturity indexes contribute in the determination of optimal harvest time for apple orchards. Calculated values of the indexes Streif (0.075 – 0.10), De Jager (5.0 – 6.0), FARS (0.2 – 0.3) and Thiault (150) indicate that the optimal harvest time for Red Delicious apples in Korça region is from 20th September up to 1st October. This harvest time is indicated also by the proposed Ripening index (-1 – 1), while Sugar/acidity ratio (40 – 50) and Perlim index (4.3 – 4.6) give an approximate harvest time but these indexes show the trend of fruit maturity.

Keywords: apple; harvest time; maturity index; Red Delicious; Ripening index

Date published: 2019-04-19