- Do not pick when fruit or plants are wet. Picking wet fruit can greatly reduce its quality during storage and increases the incidence of postharvest diseases.
- Clip off stems, especially if fruit is snapped from the tree without clippers.
- Place fruit on clean tarps or in bags, not on the ground. Do not pick up fruit from the ground.
- Use only clean, sanitized bins. Plant debris and soil in dirty bins are commonly infested with pathogens that can spread postharvest diseases.
- Keep fruit shaded and cool. Place bins in sheltered locations, or shade bins during harvest with tarps. Do not use avocado foliage as this may favor the spread of certain pests on leaves when bins are moved.
- Protect fruit from vertebrate damage, including bird excrement and rat chewing; for example, place bins in sheds until shipped to the packinghouse.
- Cool fruit promptly to the proper temperature until marketed to minimize fruit rot and preserve fruit quality.