Chemicals for Facilitating Harvest of Strawberry for Processing by Single Hand Pulling

Studies on Saving of Calyx Removing Labor of Strawberry for Processing (part II.)

Abstract

The present study was carried out to search chemicals and growing conditions which facilitate harvesting strawberry fruits detaching from calyxes, leaving the latters on the peduncles, by single hand pulling. When fruits of var. America strawberry for processing pulled by single hand, 3 kinds of fruits were harvested, fruits detached from calyxes, those with calyxes, and those with calyxes and peduncles. The percentage of calyx-free fruits was generally higher. at the first half of the harvesting time, but remarkably decreased at the end of the harvesting time. The combined application of gibberellin to strawberry plants at the budding time and of phenylbutyric acid just before the ripening of the first fruits remarkably increased the percenage of calyx-free fruits at the first half of the harvesting time. By combined application of ibberellin and Ethrel as well as gibberellin and potassium phosphate, the percentage of calyxfree fruits among total fruits harvested by single hand through the harvesting time was very higher.