ESTIMACIÓN DE PÉRDIDAS TÉCNICAS Y FINANCIERAS EN LA RECOLECCIÓN DE DURAZNO, EN LA GRANJA TUNGUAVITA DE LA U.P.T.C. BOYACÁ.

A Rubidoux peach crop of 10 years of age, and 1,500 plants in 4 ha is located in the Experimental Tunguavita's farm at Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia which has had loss of fruit increasing every year. Because of this situation, the CERES research group developed a study to estimate the loss of peach during the harvest of 2013, when it was possible to determine its pecentages at harvesting and to identify its main causes. The study was completed with the valuation in market prices of the loss of the harvest. To do this, a tracking from the first day of harvesting until it ended through 6 weeks was carried out. A strict methodology with the selection of samples (150 trees) was established, the system of harvesting was planned, describing the methods, times and movements of harvesters, the harvesting of the fruit, manipulation and handling of the fruit, and also the movement of the harvesters in the crop (Montavez, 2003). Data was recorded every harvesting day which were organized analyzed and discussed later. As a result it was found that the loss of peaches during harvesting was about 14.1%, which corresponds to 13,510 kg while harvested fruit corresponds to 94,480 kg with an average yield of 23.87 tons per ha. Inadequate manipulation, incidence of plagues and diseases, birds peck, overripe fruit were the causes of the loss and are the aspects leading to find physical, mechanical and physiological damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]