HARVESTING

               Harvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. The harvest marks the end of the growing season, or the growing cycle for a particular crop, and social importance of this event makes it the focus of seasonal celebrations such as a harvest festival, found in many religions. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most labor-intensive activity of the growing season. On large, mechanized farms, harvesting utilizes the most expensive and sophisticated farm machinery, like the combine harvester. Harvesting in general usage includes an immediate post-harvest handling, all of the actions taken immediately after removing the crop—cooling, sorting, cleaning, packing—up to the point of further on-farm processing, or shipping to the wholesale or consumer market.

Terms and Definitions

1. Harvest- is taken to mean the deliberate picking of the commodity
2. Physiological maturity- is the stage of development when the commodity has attained maximum growth and development.
3. Commercial or Horticultural maturity- is the stage of development when the plant part possesses the necessary characteristic preferred by the consumers.
4. Longer storage life- when harvested at the proper stage of maturity, commodities are able to accumulate the maximun amount of substrates for respirationresulting in a slower senescense.

References:

AGILLON AB. 2003. Physiological and Biochemical Responesenses

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest

Harvesting by. Elda B. Esguerra and Ofelia K. Bautista.
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