Effect of Harvest Date on Fruit Quality and Post-Harvest Storability of Three Different Peach Cultivars

Peach consumers demand good quality fruit, but premature harvests result in fruit that does not ripen properly and does not reach the required organoleptic quality, so consumers stop buying this product that does not meet their expectations. In our region, peaches are exported long distances, and it is required that when they reach the destination market their quality is adequate. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the storage capacity of commercial and delayed harvest in three peach cultivars. ‘Rich Lady’, ‘Summer Lady’, and ‘Merryl O’Henry’ were harvested at commercial maturity (H1) and, a few days later (H2), packed in passive modified atmosphere (PMA), and stored under refrigeration for up to 40 days to simulate marketing to distant markets. During storage and after three days of shelf-life, the physico-chemical characteristics, damage, and sensory quality of the fruit were analyzed. In general, after cold storage, peaches improve their sensory characteristics after three days at room temperature. PMA with refrigeration was suitable for exporting ‘Rich Lady’ peaches overseas for H1. The late harvest, H2, is recommended for ‘Summer Lady’, as it improves sensory quality without losing storability. ‘Summer Lady’ was the best-rated cultivar by the tasters, and ‘Merryl O’Henry’ the worst, due to its lack of ripening and high incidence of chilling injury.