“A well-pruned plant leads to smoother harvesting”

Mucci Farms, grower, packer, shipper and marketer of fresh greenhouse-grown produce in North America, has adapted its pepper harvesting and cultivation practices to deliver consistent, high-quality produce. Pepper growers at Mucci Farms share that harvesting peppers in a greenhouse setting requires precision to maintain plant health and product quality. According to them, the process remains largely hands-on but is enhanced by modern equipment. "Greenhouse peppers are hand harvested when they are almost full colour with a blunt-edged sharp knife to ensure a clean cut to reduce the incidence of stem infection," they explain. "Every plant is picked at least twice a week in picking carts, and carts are carried to the pack house by the automated induction systems for storage and packaging."

This approach has significantly boosted operational efficiency. By integrating automated induction systems, Mucci Farms minimises manual transport, reducing labour time and potential damage. For growers considering upgrades, they highlight how such technology streamlines workflows: "The use of picking carts and automated systems has changed our operational efficiency by allowing faster movement from the greenhouse to the pack house, ensuring fresher produce and less downtime."

Watch the LinkedIn Mucci Farms video about their pepper harvesting

Determining ripeness: A visual and time-based approach
Knowing when a pepper is ready for harvest is crucial to avoid underripe fruit or post-harvest losses. Their growers describe a primarily visual method grounded in maturity stages. "Peppers are harvested when they reach their desired colour and maturity, which can be 85% or more of the final colour," they note. "Peppers take between 8-10 weeks after fruit setting, depending on cultivar, to reach full colour."

While not fully automated, this criterion relies on the expertise of trained harvesters rather than sensors. For greenhouse growers, this shows the importance of staff training in visual assessment, combined with cultivar-specific timelines. They add that this method ensures consistency: "Our harvesters use these visual cues to determine ripeness, making the process reliable without over-relying on complex data systems."

Variety selection: Prioritising yield and labour efficiency
Choosing the right pepper varieties can make or break a grower's season, especially when considering harvest compatibility. At Mucci Farms, selections are multifaceted but not explicitly geared toward machine harvesting. "Varieties are selected for their characteristics, which include tolerance to viruses, diseases, yield, fruit shape, size, fruit set requirements and labour requirements."

This holistic approach benefits manual harvesting by favouring plants with accessible fruit and lower labour needs. For vegetable growers exploring automation, they suggest starting with varieties that naturally reduce handling time, even if full machine compatibility isn't the primary goal. "By focusing on labour requirements in variety selection, we've been able to optimise our harvesting teams' efficiency without needing extensive mechanical adaptations."

© Mucci Farms

Climate control strategies: The foundation of high yields
The role of integrated strategies is emphasised for optimal greenhouse conditions: "The greenhouse environment plays a primary role in greenhouse pepper production. Climate control strategies like temperature, humidity, vapour pressure deficit, carbon dioxide, nutrition, irrigation and media choice all influence the yield, fruit quality, plant balance and speed of growth."

These tactics are applied across Mucci Farms' crops, but peppers benefit particularly from optimised light levels, VPD, and CO₂ enrichment to accelerate ripening and enhance fruit quality. "These same strategies are used for other greenhouse crops also." Growers can adapt these for peppers by monitoring VPD to prevent stress, ensuring CO₂ levels support photosynthesis, and adjusting irrigation for root health, ultimately leading to higher yields and fewer defects.

Pruning and training: Tailoring for efficiency and quality
Pruning and training techniques directly impact harvest timing, labour, and fruit uniformity. For bell peppers, Mucci Farms employs a structured method. "Bell peppers are usually trained to 2 stems on strings 3-4 weeks after planting," they explain. "This makes the plant grow vertically and organised for quicker and more accessible harvesting. Side shoots are pruned regularly to keep plants in balance and for better light penetration. Stems are twisted around the string every 10-14 days."

Such practices promote even ripening and reduce labour during harvest. "A well-pruned plant leads to uniform fruit setting, growth, ripening and better quality which contributes to smoother harvesting," they add. Adjustments are made seasonally: "Extra 2-3 leaves are left on side shoots after March to provide a fuller canopy for better protection against sunscald."

While consistent across types, snacking or specialty varieties receive slight modifications. "All kinds of pepper plants are trained & pruned in the same manner, except snacking peppers are trained to 3-4 stems". This customisation allows for denser fruit sets in smaller varieties, optimising space and yield in greenhouses.

© Mucci Farms

Leveraging data for predictive harvesting
Tools for forecasting production peaks are invaluable. Mucci Farms integrates data to refine schedules. "Pepper fruits start ripening 8-10 weeks after setting. Digital tools are used for plant registration to track planting dates, growth stages, fruit setting and other parameters to identify the optimal harvest window."

Real-time integration enhances accuracy: "Integration of real-time weather data and seasonal forecasts allows for adjustments in the harvesting schedules." These tools have proven effective in practice, helping avoid bottlenecks and aligning labour with peak periods. For growers, it is recommended to start with basic tracking software: "We've found these digital tools to be highly accurate, enabling us to plan harvests more precisely and reduce waste."