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 cen ter) yielded 64% to 77% overall harvesting efficiency. Mechanically ha rvested 'Bisbee Delicious' apples averaged 70% Extra Fancy and 10% Fan cy grade, while two 'Golden Delicious' strains ('Smoothee' and 'Frazie r Goldspur') averaged 40% Extra Fancy and 13% Fancy grade fruit. Mecha nically harvesting fresh-market-quality apples from semidwarf freestan ding trees was difficult and its potential limited. Cumulative yield o f open-center trees was less than that of central-leader trees during the 3 years (sixth through eighth leaf) of our study. 'Golden Deliciou s' trees generally produced higher yields than 'Delicious' trees.