Mechanical harvesting of sweet cherries for brining is feasible in California but it has not been used extensively because of the difficulty of removing fruit from the tree. A loosening agent to reduce the force necessary to remove fruit would aid mechanical harvest.

The authors gratefully acknowledge Amchem Products, Inc., for supplying the ethephon used in this study and for the technical assistance of its representatives Ken Dunster and Sheron Christensen. The following growers also assisted in these studies: Mario Podesta, Caminata and Po-desta, Lagomarsino Bros., and Robert Russell.