Ikhwalithi yokusikwa kabusha iqala emasimini. Futhi lokho kusho ukukhetha izinhlobonhlobo ezifanele.
“Ukukhetha uhlobo lwembewu olusebenza kahle kakhulu ngesikhathi sonyaka esithile kanye nesifunda esikhulayo kuyisinyathelo sokuqala sokukhiqiza umkhiqizo oseqophelweni eliphezulu osikiwe,” kusho u-Ashley Bell, umxhumanisi wezobuchwepheshe we-International Fresh-cut Produce Association eYurophu.
Nakuba ubukhulu obufanayo, isivuno esiphezulu, ikhono lokuvunwa ngomshini, ukuvuthwa okufanayo kanye nemfucumfucu encishisiwe ithandeka kukho kokubili umkhiqizo osikiwe wonke nomusha, kunezici ezithile ezidingekayo ikakhulukazi ekusikeni okusha.
"Lapho umehluko ovela khona ezicini ezingemuva kokusika ezifana nokuphila kweshalofu, ukushintsha kombala, ukuthungwa, ukunambitheka kanye nezici zezinzwa ezifana nobumnandi, i-acidity nephunga," kusho uBell.
Amasaladi asanda kusikwa, ikakhulukazi, kufanele abe nokukhanga okuqinile okubonakalayo, okufinyelelwa amaphrosesa ngokufaka i-medley yezinhlobonhlobo ezinemibala ehlukene kanye nokuma kweqabunga. Ukuthungwa kwesaladi nakho kudlala indima ebalulekile. Uma ama-croutons, okokugqoka kanye ne-toppings kwengezwa, angakwazi ukufihla ukunambitheka kwemifino yesaladi, ngakho-ke ukuthungwa kuyaqala, kusho uBell.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, izithelo ezisikiwe zivame ukudliwa ngokwazo, ngakho ukuthungwa akubalulekile kangako. Kunalokho, izingxube zezithelo zincike ekunambithekeni kwezithelo ngakunye.
Njengoba abantu 'bedla ngamehlo,' ukubukeka kwezithelo ezigawuliwe nakho kubaluleke kakhulu," kusho uBell. “Kodwa ngaphandle uma ukuthungwa, ukunambitheka nephunga kukhanga, umthengi ngeke abe namathuba amaningi okuphinda awuthenge umkhiqizo.”
Izimila ziyehluka kwenye ngezinga lofuzo. Futhi ukuhlukana kwezakhi zofuzo kungase kubandlulule kakhulu izici ezibaluleke kakhulu kumthengi kanye/noma umlimi, ngokusho kukaNunhems, inkampani yembewu yemifino ezinze eParma, e-Idaho. Lo mehluko uvela ekucindezelweni kokukhetha komzalanisi wezitshalo endaweni ethize lapho umlimi uzotshalwa khona esikalini sokukhiqiza.
Ukuze uthole lezi zinhlobonhlobo, abalimi kufanele babe nokuqonda okuphelele kwazo zonke izimo isitshalo esizochayeka kuzo - kusukela kumlimi kuya ekufakweni kokugcina okudayisa, ngokusho kukaNunhems. Abafuyi kumele bazi ngezinhlobo zamanje ezikhona ukuze bazi ukuthi yini okumele ithuthukiswe.
Kodwa abalimi abakwenzi bodwa, abakhiqizi nabatshali badinga ukusebenzisana bodwa kanye nabalimi. Abalimi kudingeka bazi izidingo zomuntu ngamunye zohlobo ngalunye kuleyo ndawo ekhulayo. Futhi abaprosesa badinga ukwazi ukuthi iluphi uhlobo oluzosebenza kangcono kulokho abazama ukukufeza ngomkhiqizo oqediwe. Futhi ukuze konke kusebenze, abalimi kudingeka bakwazi ukukhulisa lezo zinhlobonhlobo kuleyo ndawo. Ekugcineni, ukuxhumana kubalulekile.
"Abaphrosesa badinga ukuxhumana ngokucacile nabalimi ukuthi yiziphi izidingo zabo futhi banikeze impendulo njalo ukuze abalimi baqonde ngokucacile ukuthi yiziphi izinkinga ezibaluleke kakhulu nokuthi bangasebenzisana kanjani ukuze baxazulule noma yiziphi izinkinga futhi bakhiqize impahla yekhwalithi engcono kakhulu," kusho uBell. “Lapho umprosesa ehileleka ngokuqondile ekusebenzeni komlimi wangempela, kulapho (yena) angaba nokufaka okwengeziwe ekukhetheni izinhlobo ezithile ezilungele ukulima okusha.”
Njengoba i-fresh-cut iqhubeka nokuthola isabelo semakethe emnyangweni wezokukhiqiza, abaqhubi abasanda kukhishwa bazoba nomthelela omkhulu kubalimi mayelana nezidingo ezithile zemikhiqizo esanda kusikwa.
Ngoba uma izinhlobonhlobo ezingalungile zisetshenziswa, zingaholela emikhiqizweni engaphansi.
"Ukusebenzisa uhlobo 'olungalungile' noma oluncane kakhulu kungase kube nemiphumela emibi kwikhwalithi kanye nempilo yeshalofu," kusho uBell. "Umehluko wokulima ukhona ekuphefumuleni okungase kube nomthelela ekupakishweni nasekuguqulweni komkhathi, ukuthambekela ekulimaleni komshini, amandla okuba nsundu, ukunambitheka nokuthungwa."
Ngokusho kwe-Nunhems, ukukhiqizwa kwensimu embi, ukusebenza kahle kokucubungula kanye nemiphumela yekhwalithi ephansi yabathengi konke kungasukela ekukhetheni izinhlobonhlobo ezingafaneleki kahle zokusikwa okusha.
Ukukhetha uhlobo oluhle kakhulu lwembewu ngokombala, ubukhulu, ukuma, ukunambitheka kanye nezinye izici eziningi ekugcineni kusho ikhwalithi engcono nokuthengiswa okwengeziwe.
"Ukusetshenziswa kwezinhlobonhlobo ezithile zokusikwa okusha kunethuba lokunikeza iphrosesa umkhawulo wabaqhudelana nabo emakethe," kusho uBell.
Ukucabangela Ezinye Izinto
Kodwa ukukhetha okuhlukahlukene kukodwa ngeke kuqinisekise umkhiqizo wekhwalithi. Ukuvuthwa komkhiqizo, izinqubo zokuvuna kanye neketango elibandayo konke kudlala indima ebalulekile empumelelweni yokusikwa kabusha komkhiqizo.
"Uhambo lomkhiqizo olusuka epulazini luye kwelinye luyiketango futhi, ngenxa yalokho, luqinile njengesixhumanisi esibuthakathaka," kusho uBell. “Ngaphandle kwe-cultivar ekahle etshalwe futhi yaphathwa ngendlela efanele ngokunquma isikhathi esikahle sokuvuna, ngeke kube khona impahla esezingeni eliphezulu yokuvunwa, ukusetshenzwa nokupakishwa.”
Uma sekushiwo, uBell waqhubeka, izimo ezimakethe nasendaweni zingakhiqiza isivuno esinekhwalithi engaphansi kwefanele.
“Khona-ke umprosesa kumele asebenze nalokho okutholakalayo, ehlise umugqa, ahlele kakhulu futhi alungise okulindelwe eshalofini lokuphila,” kusho yena.
Ezinye izici ezitholakalayo yimishini. Idizayini yemishini yokucubungula esesikiwe kabusha kufanele icabangele umkhiqizo. Imishini kufanele yakhiwe ukunciphisa umonakalo. Izindlela zokwenza lokhu zihlanganisa ukusetshenziswa kwamatafula okunyakazisa esikhundleni sama-centrifuges kweminye imikhiqizo yamaqabunga, ukwehlisa ukuphakama, nokusebenzisa izindwani ezibukhali noma i-jet-jet blade ukuze unciphise umonakalo lapho usikwa, kusho uBell.
Uma imikhiqizo isikiwe, ukupakishwa kwenza wonke umehluko. Kukhona ubuchwepheshe manje obungasiza ekunciphiseni izinga lokuphefumula, okusho ukuthi i-metabolism, ukukhiqizwa kwe-ethylene, ukukhiqizwa komswakama kanye nokushintsha kombala.
"Ukupakishwa kufanele kuhambisane nempahla, usayizi osikiwe, inhlanganisela kanye nenani futhi kumele kusebenze ngokubambisana nokuphathwa kwe-cold chain ukuze kusebenze kahle," kusho uBell.
Ukuthola Ukwaziswa
Kunemithombo eminingi yolwazi mayelana nokukhetha uhlobo lwe-cultivar lokusikwa okusha. Enye yezinketho ezinhle kakhulu ukukhuluma nezinkampani zembewu kanye nabafuyi. Bazi kakhulu ngezinhlobo zabo, ngakho banganikeza ulwazi oluningi. Idlanzana lamahhovisi e-Extension emanyuvesi ahlukene enza ucwaningo ngemikhiqizo esanda kusikwa. Laba bacwaningi bangabhekana nezindaba ezihlobene nezindawo ezikhulayo nezimo ezithile.
I-USDA's Agricultural Research Service nayo yenza ucwaningo ngezinhlobo zemikhiqizo esanda kusikwa. Ungafunda kabanzi ngalolo cwaningo ku-www.ars.usda.gov.