1. Temperature Control
- Summer pears ripen quickly; cooling and maintaining the cold chain is essential.
2. Sensitivity to Rub/Scuff Marks in the Orchard
- Windy conditions increase branch and scuff marks.
- More than one fruit per bunch increases rub marks; careful fruit selection during thinning is crucial.
- Long, loose branches increase rub/scuff marks; prune trees to ensure stiffer bearing units.
3. Handling of Fruit During Harvest
- Cheeky pears are very sensitive to rub and scuff marks.
- Take special care during harvesting. Pick during cooler periods of the day to prevent rub/scuff marks.
- Preferably harvest in plastic, not wooden, bins.
- Place plastic bin liners inside bins to cushion fruit surfaces exposed to the bin.
- Sand and dust in bins and picking bags create more rub marks; ensure all equipment is properly cleaned.
4. Harvest Maturity
- Optimum harvest maturity: 6.8–7.2 kg to prevent internal breakdown.
- Immature fruit are more susceptible to rub marks.
- Picking above 7.2 kg increases chances of rub/scuff marks.
- Fruit harvested below 6.8 kg are significantly more prone to internal breakdown when cold stored for longer than 6 weeks.
5. Post-Harvest Handling and Packing
- Cool fruit within 24 hours after harvest, preferably within 8 hours on the day of harvesting.
- Cold rooms must be set to -1.0°C.
- Keep bins in cold room for 48 hours and monitor fruit pulp temperature before packing.
- Fruit must be colder than 2°C before packing. Fresh rub marks are more visible after cooling.
- If packed wet, flume water should contain 50–75 ppm chlorine.
- If packed dry, consider drenching with Scholar (Fludioxinil).
- Handle fruit very carefully on the packing line; this is a high-value product.
- Overflowing packing tables and fast lane speeds will lead to rub marks.
- Use perforated 37.5-micron or 20-micron bags in cartons.
- 20-micron bags help with faster cooling to get fruit to temperature.
- Force-cool pallets directly after inspection, within 1 hour of filling the pallet; otherwise, build pallets in a cold room.
- Pallets of counts that come out slowly should be kept inside a cold room until full.
6. Cooling After Packing
- Forced air cooling tunnels (DAT) must be set to -2°C.
- After 24 hours, rotate pallets in tunnels 180 degrees (inside wall to outside wall).
- Try to load pallets out with fruit pulp temperature of at least -0.5°C to 0.0°C.
7. Carrying Temperatures
- DP1: -1.0°C (summer pears in bags only). Carry at -1°C for the full duration of the voyage. Closed vents.
- D05: -0.5°C (summer pears without bags). Carry at -0.5°C for the full duration of the voyage. Closed vents.