HARVESTING SEMIDWARF FREESTANDING APPLE-TREES WITH AN OVER-THE-ROW MECHANICAL HARVESTER

Three years of mechanical harvesting (shake and catch) trials with two freestanding apple (Malus domestica Borkh,) cultivars on a semidwarf rootstock (M.7a) and two training systems (central leader and open center) yielded 64% to 77% overall harvesting efficiency. Mechanically harvested 'Bisbee Delicious' apples averaged 70% Extra Fancy and 10% Fancy grade, while two 'Golden Delicious' strains ('Smoothee' and 'Frazier Goldspur') averaged 40% Extra Fancy and 13% Fancy grade fruit. Mechanically harvesting fresh-market-quality apples from semidwarf freestanding trees was difficult and its potential limited. Cumulative yield of open-center trees was less than that of central-leader trees during the 3 years (sixth through eighth leaf) of our study. 'Golden Delicious' trees generally produced higher yields than 'Delicious' trees.