Application of Vis/Nir spectroscopy to establish peach ripening as affected by rootstock

The objective of this paper was to monitor peach ripeness of 'Chimarrita' and 'Maciel' cultivars, grafted on different rootstocks, using the flesh-flesh firmness parameter, as an indicator of harvest time through equipment based on Vis/Nir spectroscopy. The orchard was installed in 2005, was "V" system trained with spacing of 5.0 x 1.5 m, and the cultivars were grafted on seven rootstocks: 'Capdeboscq', 'Flordaguard', 'Nemaguard', 'Okinawa', 'Tsukuba', 'Umezeiro' and 'Viamão'. After harvesting, the fruits were evaluated by the NIR CASE spectrophotometer, establishing categories of flesh-flesh firmness, between 40N and 60N for fruits consumed in a long term and <40N for immediate consumption. The analyzed rootstocks alter the peach ripeness of the 'Chimarrita' and 'Maciel' cultivars. The 'Umezeiro' rootstock induced early harvest for the 'Chimarrita' cultivar. The 'Nemaguard'/'Maciel' combination provides fruits with a superior harvest period than the other ones evaluated. The Vis/Nir spectroscopy is a useful tool to monitor the harvest of 'Chimarrita' and 'Maciel' cultivars.