When are conditions right for harvesting a crop?
When the crop is ready for harvest, will depend largely on weather conditions and the state of the market. When the decision to harvest has been made, the best time of the day must be considered. The aim is to dispatch the produce to market in the best possible condition, that is, as cool as possible, properly packed and free from damage. The basic rules to observe are:
- harvest during the coolest part of the day : early morning or late afternoon;
- do not harvest produce when it is wet from dew or rain. Wet produce will overheat if not well ventilated and it will be more likely to decay. Some produce may be subject to more damage when wet, e.g. oil spotting and rind breakdown in some citrus fruits;
- protect harvested produce in the field by putting it under open-sided shade when transport is not immediately available. Produce left exposed to direct sunlight willget very hot. For example, potatoes left exposed to tropical sunlight for four hourscan reach temperatures of almost 50° C.
Produce for the local markets can be harvested early in the morning to avoid higher level of field heat. For more distant markets it may be an advantage-if a suitable transport can be arranged to harvest in the late afternoon and transport to market at night or early the next morning.