Postharvest Physiology and Technology of Horticultural Crops—2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

Post-harvest losses in fruits and vegetables are very high. About 30% of fresh fruits and vegetables shrivel and decay, lowering their market value and consumer acceptability.

Improper handling during harvest and transportation storage cause physical damage due to tissue breakdown. Mechanical losses include bruising, cracking, cuts, and microbial damage, whereas physiological losses include changes in respiration, transpiration, pigments, organic acids, and flavor.

Loss occurs mainly after harvesting, but it starts first from the field, during harvest (both manual and mechanical), after harvest, in storage, and during transportation. Once fruit is harvested, postharvest handling practices cannot improve the quality attained in the field; they only can slow the rate at which deterioration occurs. Therefore, the postharvest quality and shelf life of fruit produce are also determined before harvest and can be affected by plant–environment interactions. Moreover, cultivation systems, such as high-density plantations, can affect the quality of fruit and affect its shelf-life.

This Special Issue is a natural continuation of our previous Special Issue: “Postharvest Physiology and Technology of Horticultural Crops”. The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a multi-technique approach to explore fruit quality variability during and after harvest in relation to plant–environment interactions.

Dr. Daniela Farinelli
Guest Editor

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• fruit storage
• environment
• fruit damage and quality parameters
• genotypes
• high-density orchard
• mechanical harvest
• preharvest practices
• postharvest practices