Assessing the main causes of clementine grade-outs at packaging houses from Berkane

Abstract

Citrus plants are susceptible to biotic and abiotic stresses that affect both production quality and quantity, causing high rate of grade-outs and leading to very substantial financial losses to both farmers and the packaging houses. Reduction of this rate relies on a sound knowledge of the causes of fruit rejection at packaging houses. In this context, the main causes of citrus grade-outs (clementine) have been studied in the northeast of Morocco (Berkane area). 4.606 sorting and grading forms, of the crop year 2016-2017, have been recovered from four packaging houses settled in Berkane, and have been analyzed thereafter to identify the key causes of clementine grade-outs in this area. Five categories have been identified. Physical and chemical injuries, pests, and harvest defects head the list of imperfection categories, followed by physiological disorders and fungi. In particular, the recorded grade-outs rates ranged from 5% to 65%, with an average of 27% and 30% for natural and degreened fruits, respectively. The multitude of grade-outs causes and the rapid development of resistance to pesticides commonly used in citrus orchards and packaging houses are considered as serious indicators which triggered the alarm on the necessity of searching for sustainable alternatives to protect citrus production in Berkane area.

Keywords

• clémentine
• ravageurs
• désordres physiologiques
• dommages physiques et chimiques
• calibre
• post-récolte