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Questions and Answers
What continues even after horticultural crops are harvested?
What continues even after horticultural crops are harvested?
What is a primary cause of post-harvest losses in crops?
What is a primary cause of post-harvest losses in crops?
What percentage of crops might small farmers in developing countries lose due to insufficient storage?
What percentage of crops might small farmers in developing countries lose due to insufficient storage?
What mainly contributes to the perishability of fruits, vegetables, and root crops after harvest?
What mainly contributes to the perishability of fruits, vegetables, and root crops after harvest?
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In developed countries, post-harvest losses are often caused by:
In developed countries, post-harvest losses are often caused by:
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What is a key factor in minimizing deterioration of fresh harvested crops?
What is a key factor in minimizing deterioration of fresh harvested crops?
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Which factor does not contribute to physiological deterioration in fresh produce?
Which factor does not contribute to physiological deterioration in fresh produce?
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What can cause internal bruising in fresh produce?
What can cause internal bruising in fresh produce?
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What does post-harvest loss NOT result from?
What does post-harvest loss NOT result from?
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Which disease-related factor is a major cause of loss in fresh produce?
Which disease-related factor is a major cause of loss in fresh produce?
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How does post-harvest loss impact farmers in developing countries?
How does post-harvest loss impact farmers in developing countries?
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What may lead to post-harvest loss caused by mechanical issues?
What may lead to post-harvest loss caused by mechanical issues?
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Which of the following conditions can lead to abnormal physiological deterioration?
Which of the following conditions can lead to abnormal physiological deterioration?
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What type of injury can create sites for infection in fresh produce?
What type of injury can create sites for infection in fresh produce?
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How do diseases primarily access fresh produce post-harvest?
How do diseases primarily access fresh produce post-harvest?
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What is the primary effect of production losses on fresh produce?
What is the primary effect of production losses on fresh produce?
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What is the principal technique in postharvest management that affects the rate of deterioration?
What is the principal technique in postharvest management that affects the rate of deterioration?
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Which of the following is NOT listed as a secondary cause of postharvest losses?
Which of the following is NOT listed as a secondary cause of postharvest losses?
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What is a primary goal of postharvest technology?
What is a primary goal of postharvest technology?
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Which factor is identified as a major issue due to adverse environmental conditions during growth?
Which factor is identified as a major issue due to adverse environmental conditions during growth?
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What is a suggested method to reduce post-harvest losses in agriculture?
What is a suggested method to reduce post-harvest losses in agriculture?
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Which stage is crucial for determining the quality and losses of harvested produce?
Which stage is crucial for determining the quality and losses of harvested produce?
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What is a leading cause of fresh produce degradation in developing countries?
What is a leading cause of fresh produce degradation in developing countries?
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What practices can help maintain the shelf-life and quality of produce post-harvest?
What practices can help maintain the shelf-life and quality of produce post-harvest?
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What is the process by which plants convert carbohydrates into energy?
What is the process by which plants convert carbohydrates into energy?
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What happens to produce when the air supply is restricted and oxygen levels fall below 2 percent?
What happens to produce when the air supply is restricted and oxygen levels fall below 2 percent?
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What is the main consequence of excess carbon dioxide accumulation around produce?
What is the main consequence of excess carbon dioxide accumulation around produce?
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What percentage of water do most fresh produce contain upon harvest?
What percentage of water do most fresh produce contain upon harvest?
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What initiates wilting and makes produce unusable?
What initiates wilting and makes produce unusable?
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Which factor is essential for normal plant respiration?
Which factor is essential for normal plant respiration?
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What is released during the respiration process in plants?
What is released during the respiration process in plants?
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What must be minimized to extend the usable life of harvested produce?
What must be minimized to extend the usable life of harvested produce?
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What is the primary function of roots and tubers in plants?
What is the primary function of roots and tubers in plants?
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Which edible part of a plant is formed by the fusion of immature flowers?
Which edible part of a plant is formed by the fusion of immature flowers?
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What is a key characteristic of vegetative growth in plants?
What is a key characteristic of vegetative growth in plants?
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What process do plants use to make sugars using sunlight?
What process do plants use to make sugars using sunlight?
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What are carbohydrates stored as in root crops?
What are carbohydrates stored as in root crops?
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Which of these is NOT a type of fresh produce based on plant parts?
Which of these is NOT a type of fresh produce based on plant parts?
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What role do edible flowers play in plant reproduction?
What role do edible flowers play in plant reproduction?
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Which of the following plant parts is primarily consumed for their fleshy parts?
Which of the following plant parts is primarily consumed for their fleshy parts?
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What is the primary function of air spaces in plants?
What is the primary function of air spaces in plants?
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How does air movement affect water loss from fresh produce?
How does air movement affect water loss from fresh produce?
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Which type of produce is likely to lose water the fastest?
Which type of produce is likely to lose water the fastest?
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What factor significantly influences the rate of water loss in plants?
What factor significantly influences the rate of water loss in plants?
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To minimize water loss from fresh produce, which environment is preferable?
To minimize water loss from fresh produce, which environment is preferable?
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Study Notes
Post-Harvest Handling Technology
- Fresh produce continues living processes after harvest, containing high water content, respiring, generating heat, and subject to desiccation and mechanical damage
- Storage period and shelf-life depend on the use of stored food reserves and transpiration rate
- Post-harvest losses are the loss of harvested food before it reaches the consumer.
- Post-harvest losses are a major concern in developing countries, often reaching up to 40% of crops due to inadequate infrastructure (e.g., refrigeration) for storage and transportation.
Introduction-Rationale
- In a globalized world, actions impact other people and the environment.
- Food production and consumption contribute to environmental impact, with significant post-harvest food loss
- Post-harvest loss occurs after harvest and results in spoilage, pests, and poor handling.
Primary Causes of Losses
- Environmental conditions: temperature and humidity
- Mechanical issues: poor handling, storage, lack of supporting tools
- Microbial action: bacteria or fungi effects
Secondary Causes of Losses
- Long shipping and distribution
- Insufficient storage facilities and management
- Incomplete drying before threshing
- Poor harvesting handling process
- Complex market and regulatory distribution
Post-Harvest Management
- The main technique is controlling the storage environment and handling conditions, with temperature control being crucial
- Physiological disorders arise from adverse conditions (pre/post-harvest) or mineral imbalances during growth, affecting edible produce handling and storage
- Post-harvest management (PHM) includes processes after harvest: cooling, cleaning, sorting, and packing. PHM treatments improve shelf life and quality.
Postharvest Technology
- The goal is to create cost-effective methods to limit produce deterioration between harvest and end-use, ensuring high eating quality and maximum market value.
How To Reduce Post Harvest Losses
- Improve storage and shipping practices: High temperatures are a leading cause of degradation; using refrigerated storage and cooling systems in developing countries is essential. Controlling temperature is crucial.
- Enhance harvesting standards: Packinghouse standards, harvest procedures, containers, and equipment quality impact post-harvest losses and quality of produce. Setting an optimal harvest period is critical.
- Do clean and proper sorting: Proper sorting and grading, combined with adequate packing and storage improves shelf life and quality, reduces losses, and lowers marketing costs. Sorting distinguishes between excellent and poor quality produce.
- Handle crops softly and delicately: Avoid mechanical damage (bruising and breakage), which creates entry points for pests and raises physiological losses.
Pre-harvest factors in Produce Marketing
- The overall quality of produce before harvest significantly affects its potential market value.
- Market factors affecting farmers' decisions include potential buyers, quality requirements (size, shape, ripeness, appearance, perishability), and pricing limitations.
- Pre-harvest production practices, such as water supply, soil fertility use of fertilizers, cultivation practices, and agricultural chemicals (pesticides), influence post-harvest returns in quality and quantity.
Perishability and Produce Losses
- Fruits, vegetables, and root crops are living tissues with high water content (65-95%) that continue living after harvest, affecting their lifespan.
- Post-harvest losses are caused by physiological deterioration (normal changes due to high/low temperature, humidity, physical injury, or contamination), mechanical damage (physical injury from careless handling), and diseases and pests.
Physiological Deterioration
- Increased loss rate due to normal physiological changes caused by conditions impacting produce (temperature, humidity, etc.) and various environmental/physical factors.
- This may cause flavor changes, failure to ripen, other changes in produce's quality, rendering it unusable.
Mechanical Damage (Physical Injury)
- Careless handling causes internal bruising, leading to abnormal physiological damage, splitting, skin breaks, and increased water loss
- Skin breaks are entry points for infection, leading to decay
Diseases and Pests
- Fresh produce can be infected before or after harvest by various air, soil, and water-borne diseases.
- Some diseases penetrate unbroken skin, causing damage.
- Others require injury to cause infection potentially leading to significant fresh produce loss.
Types of Fresh Produce
- Commoditized fresh produce (fruit, vegetables, root crops) are a wide variety of plant parts from various plant families
- Convenient terms for horticultural and domestic purposes
- Categorized by plant parts (roots/tubers, edible flowers, vegetative growth, and reproductive structures) based on characteristics that affect handling and storage.
The post-harvest physiology of fresh produce
- Green plants use sunlight to create sugars (photosynthesis) by combining carbon dioxide from air and water from the soil via roots
- Sugars are often stored as starch in various parts.
- Starch and sugars provide energy for growth and reproduction.
Respiration
- Plants take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide (respiration).
- This process produces energy (heat) throughout the plant's life cycle from the field until harvest.
- Respiration continues after harvest; stopping this process damages produce.
- Produce uses up its stored carbohydrate/sugar reserves, leading to decay when these reserves are exhausted.
Effect of air supply on respiration
- Respiration of produce depends on a good air supply.
- Restricted air supply causes fermentation, creating bad flavors, and accelerating the aging process.
- Carbon dioxide accumulates, negatively affecting quality.
Transpiration (loss of water)
- Most fresh produce has 65-95% water and constantly loses water vapor during harvesting and post-harvest
- Produce wilts significantly impacting usability and shelf-life after a certain water loss threshold.
- Keeping a moist environment is crucial to minimizing water loss, and controlling air movement can be an effective method of mitigating water loss.
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Description
Explore the critical aspects of post-harvest handling technology and its impact on food sustainability. Understand the factors affecting storage life, post-harvest losses, and the effective management strategies to mitigate waste. This quiz emphasizes the importance of proper infrastructure in reducing losses, especially in developing countries.
