Large-canopy training systems commonly used in Washington pear orchards create sunlight exposure disparities among fruits. Pear ripening is influenced by sunlight exposure and variability contributes to non-uniform ripening postharvest outcomes. To enhance uniformity in fruit batches based on sunlight exposure, d ‘Anjou pears were sorted according to a newly adapted Chlorophyll-carotenoid index (Cri) based on Hyperspectral images. In September 2024, d’Anjou pears were harvested in three commercial orchards located across distinct growing regions in Washington and Oregon. Reflectance spectral information for each fruit was extracted from Hyperspectral images, and wavebands related to Chlorophyll and carotenoids (430, 662, 454, 549 nm) were subsequently used to calculate Cri values for each fruit. This index value allowed for sorting of fruit into batches under three sunlight categories: Low, Medium, and High. Fruit was kept in controlled atmosphere storage (3.0 % O2, 0.8 % CO2, 0 oC) and quality (Chlorophyll degradation (IAD), firmness (lb)), was studied after 4 months of storage plus 7 days at room temperature (20 oC). Fruit maturity indexes, at harvest, showed no differences between fruit categories. Chlorophyll degradation (IAD) on fruit surface showed that in two of the three orchards, low-exposure fruits exhibited lower values in comparison to high-exposure ones (P ≤ 0.01). Firmness values were significantly lower in high-exposure categories after cold storage and room temperature periods, landing at around 12 lbs and 3 lbs, respectively (P ≤ 0.01). No major differences in physiological disorders incidence between sunlight categories were observed. Further investigation needs to be conducted to determine how these categories behave in longer cold-chain storage scenarios.
