Vol. 119 (2006): Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society
Citrus

Potential harvesting solutions for the Florida citrus industry To maintain juice quality and grove productivity

Robin Bryant
Magnolia Consulting, Inc.

Published 2006-12-01

Keywords

  • fruit quality,
  • labor,
  • mechanical harvesting,
  • orange,
  • processing,
  • processing capacity,
  • quality prediction,
  • storage capacity
  • ...More
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Abstract

With the continual reduction of the number of processors in the Florida citrus industry, the available processing and storage capacity continues to decrease. Growers and harvesters are being asked to extend the harvesting season later each year in order to compensate for these decreases. As an industry, growers, processors, and harvesters need to determine ways to efficiently utilize the available capacities while maintaining juice quality and grove productivity. By implementing new technologies for mechanical harvesting and quality prediction, a more consistent and higher quality product can be delivered to the consumer.