4/22/2019

POST
POSTPRODUCTION PRACTICES: PRODUCTION
A. POSTHARVEST HANDLING OF
Handling of crops,
PERISHABLES whether used for
food or other
Exercise No. 8a purposes, from
harvest up to the
AGRI 32 - Fundamentals of Crop Science II time they reach the
final consumer

AGRI 32 | Exercise 8a: Postharvest Handling of Perishables 1 AGRI 32 | Exercise 8a: Postharvest Handling of Perishables 2

THE NEED FOR

POSTHARVEST
HANDLING
Groups of crops
based on
perishability and
postharvest practices

Losses are high

AGRI 32 | Exercise 8a: Postharvest Handling of Perishables 3 AGRI 32 | Exercise 8a: Postharvest Handling of Perishables 4

1
 4/22/2019

Increasing THE NEED FOR Huge opportunities for THE NEED FOR
urbanization and POSTHARVEST export and fierce POSTHARVEST
industrialization HANDLING global competition HANDLING

Heightened health
Growing attention
consciousness and
on quality and
changing tastes and
food safety
lifestyles

AGRI 32 | Exercise 8a: Postharvest Handling of Perishables 5 AGRI 32 | Exercise 8a: Postharvest Handling of Perishables 6

POSTHARVEST
HANDLING GOALS
TRANSPIRATION
Three biological
• Maintain the
processes that have the
greatest effect on the
freshness, safety and
wholesomeness of RESPIRATION maintenance of quality
fresh produce
of harvested produce
• Meet the buyers’
specifications and
trade requirements
SENESCENCE

AGRI 32 | Exercise 8a: Postharvest Handling of Perishables 7 AGRI 32 | Exercise 8a: Postharvest Handling of Perishables 8

2
 4/22/2019

TRANSPIRATION • Avoid mechanical

• Harvest at the right stage of
damage
maturity
• Protect produce from
• Do not expose commodity
direct sunlight
RESPIRATION to too much heat
• Store at optimum
• Store at relatively low
temperature and relative
temperatures
humidity

AGRI 32 | Exercise 8a: Postharvest Handling of Perishables 9 AGRI 32 | Exercise 8a: Postharvest Handling of Perishables 10

• Avoid/minimize
TRANSPIRATION
mechanical injury
Handle harvested
• Keep commodities away commodities with
from ethylene sources
RESPIRATION
• Do not expose harvested TENDER LOVING CARE
produce to stresses (e.g.
wounding, heat)

SENESCENCE SENESCENCE

AGRI 32 | Exercise 8a: Postharvest Handling of Perishables 11 AGRI 32 | Exercise 8a: Postharvest Handling of Perishables 12

3
 4/22/2019

STORAGE
• Maintain the quality and
prolong the usefulness of fresh Low temperature or
produce Refrigerated storage

• Retard the rate of respiration,

transpiration and senescence

• Retard the growth of disease-

causing organisms

AGRI 32 | Exercise 8a: Postharvest Handling of Perishables 13 AGRI 32 | Exercise 8a: Postharvest Handling of Perishables 14

Non-refrigerated storage
Modified Atmosphere
(e.g. evaporative
and Controlled
cooling, ventilated
Atmosphere storage
cooling)

AGRI 32 | Exercise 8a: Postharvest Handling of Perishables 15 AGRI 32 | Exercise 8a: Postharvest Handling of Perishables 16

4
 4/22/2019

OBJECTIVES ACTIVITIES
• discuss the importance of 1. Tour of PHTRC facilities
proper harvesting and
handling of perishables
2. Observe postharvest
demonstration set-ups
• perform the different
methods of maintaining and
extending the postharvest life 3. Conduct experiments on
of perishable crops prolonging the storage life
and maintaining quality of
produce

AGRI 32 | Exercise 8a: Postharvest Handling of Perishables 17 AGRI 32 | Exercise 8a: Postharvest Handling of Perishables 18