French Beans ( Harricot Vert)

Harvest Methods

French beans should be harvested by grasping the pod in the hand with the thumb and forefinger and pressing against the stem, followed by snapping the pod off the plant.

• Care should be taken not to sever or damage the fruiting branches while attempting to remove the pod
• Pod should not be harvested when wet because surface moisture increases decay.
• pod which have injuries that penetrate the skin are likely to rot and should be eliminated.
• Unmarketable quality or diseased fruit should also be removed from the plant and not mixed in the same field container as the marketable pod.
• The discarded pod should be removed from the field to avoid the spread and buildup of diseases and insect pests.
• The picking containers should be wide, shallow, and stackable to avoid excessive weight and bruising of the pod at the bottom of the container. Sturdy, well-ventilated plastic containers and/or plastic buckets make ideal harvest containers.

Postharvest Temperature

• The optimum temperature for storage and transport of French beans is 5- 7°C(45°F). At this temperature
• Pod held at higher temperatures suffer more water loss and shrivel.
• Cooling of the French beans immediately after harvest is necessary for maintaining quality and maximizing postharvest life.

Pods ready to be harvested

For Sorting and Grading