Storage and Quality Management of Horticultural Products

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Postharvest Biology, Quality, Safety, and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 August 2024) | Viewed by 28788

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the changing world has affected climate change and led to huge losses in the fruit and vegetable industry related to the storage of raw materials. The agricultural sector needs to adapt to these challenges and provide sustainable methods in order to cover the global need for food while protecting biodiversity and the ecosystem.

Postharvest treatments are equally as important as preharvest ones. Proper postharvest fruit or vegetable management can sustain the qualitative attributes of fruits and vegetables, minimize pathogen-related losses, minimize chemical residues, and prolong shelf life in order to meet future food needs. The use of appropriate postharvest techniques and treatments such as edible coatings, as well as natural substances (e.g., extracts, essentials oils) can contribute to extending the shelf life of plant materials.

In this Special Issue, we invite you to submit review and research articles on extending the shelf life of plant materials with the use of modern techniques and substances.

Dr. Katarzyna Pobiega
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • shelf life
  • vegetables
  • fruits
  • postharvest
  • edible coating
  • food quality
  • biocontrol

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 3292 KiB  
Article
The PpIAA5-ARF8 Module Regulates Fruit Ripening and Softening in Peach
by Yafei Qin, Wei Wang, Mingming Chang, Haiqing Yang, Fengrong Yin and Yueping Liu
Horticulturae 2023, 9(10), 1149; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9101149 - 20 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1263
Abstract
Fruit ripening and softening are important physiological processes in fruit quality formation, and auxin is involved in regulating the ripening and softening process in peach fruit. Little research has been reported on the role of Aux/IAA (auxin/indole-3-acetic acid)-ARF (auxin response factor) protein interactions [...] Read more.
Fruit ripening and softening are important physiological processes in fruit quality formation, and auxin is involved in regulating the ripening and softening process in peach fruit. Little research has been reported on the role of Aux/IAA (auxin/indole-3-acetic acid)-ARF (auxin response factor) protein interactions in the ripening process of peach fruit. The transcriptomics and RT–qPCR results revealed that PpIAA5 expression increased before ripening in peach fruits. Overexpression of PpIAA5 significantly represses the expression of peach fruit ripening- and softening-related genes PpPG and PpACO1 in peach fruit tissues using transient transformation. A yeast library and yeast two-hybrid screen yielded PpARF8, a protein that interacts with PpIAA5. The interaction relationship was further established using a bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay. Transient overexpression of PpARF8 in peach fruit tissues promoted the expression of PpPA, PpPG, and PpACO1. Furthermore, a tomato transient transformation assay validated that the PpARF8 gene promotes fruit ripening and softening. Taken together, our results suggest that the PpIAA5-ARF8 signaling module can affect the ripening and softening of peach fruits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Storage and Quality Management of Horticultural Products)
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20 pages, 7515 KiB  
Article
Effects of D-Limonene Nanoemulsion Coating on Post-Harvest Quality and Physiology of Papaya
by Meng-Chieh Yu, Chih-Yao Hou, Chang-Wei Hsieh, Jyh-Shyan Tsay, Hsin-Ying Chung and Yu-Shen Liang
Horticulturae 2023, 9(9), 975; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9090975 - 29 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1734
Abstract
Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a climacteric fruit, and its quality will rapidly decrease after ripening. Hence, the storage life of its fruit is short. D-limonene is a terpene compound in citrus essential oil and has antibacterial and antioxidant properties. The addition [...] Read more.
Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a climacteric fruit, and its quality will rapidly decrease after ripening. Hence, the storage life of its fruit is short. D-limonene is a terpene compound in citrus essential oil and has antibacterial and antioxidant properties. The addition of D-limonene in edible coating can delay volatilization, prevent microorganism and pathogen invasion, decrease water loss, inhibit softening, decrease gas exchange, and extend the storage life of fruits. In this study, 0.25%, 0.5%, and 1% D-limonene nanoemulsion coatings were used for post-harvest immersion treatment of “Tainung No. 2” papayas and its effects on appearance, chlorophyll content, respiration rate, ethylene production, pectin methylesterase, polygalacturonase activity, decay loss, firmness, total soluble solid, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, and total plate count were investigated. After the papayas were treated with 0.5% D-limonene nanoemulsion coating, polygalacturonase and pectin methylesterase activities decreased, fruit firmness was maintained, and ascorbic acid content was high. On the last day of storage, polygalacturonase and pectin methylesterase activities were 0.01 and 0.02 U/kg FW lower than the control group, respectively; firmness was higher than the control group by 1.75 N, and ascorbic acid content was higher than the control group by 31.97 mg/100 g FW. On Day 2, the treatment showed delay in total soluble solid accumulation and chlorophyll degradation, consequently delaying the color change in fruits. The coating decreased decay loss by 40% on Day 2, decreased respiration rate by 97.0 mg CO2 kg−1 h−1, and ethylene production by 5.7 µL kg−1 h−1 on Day 2. Simultaneously, the coating decreased the total plate count and resulted in a good appearance. Fruits coated with a 1% D-limonene nanoemulsion coating showed defects in color change. In summary, 0.5% D-limonene nanoemulsion coating delayed “Tainung No. 2” papaya ripening and decreased microbial infection, consequently extending its storage life. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Storage and Quality Management of Horticultural Products)
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15 pages, 1662 KiB  
Article
Chitosan Coating Improves Postharvest Shelf-Life of Mango (Mangifera indica L.)
by Nehar Parvin, Afrina Rahman, Jayanta Roy, Md Harun Rashid, Newton Chandra Paul, Md. Asif Mahamud, Shahin Imran, Md. Arif Sakil, F M Jamil Uddin, Md. Elias Molla, Mubarak A. Khan, Md. Humayun Kabir and Md. Abdul Kader
Horticulturae 2023, 9(1), 64; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9010064 - 5 Jan 2023
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5870
Abstract
Mango is an extremely perishable fruit with a short postharvest time, and a considerable proportion of harvested mangoes become spoiled due to the postharvest decay in mango-producing areas of the world. The current study was designed to evaluate the effects of chitosan on [...] Read more.
Mango is an extremely perishable fruit with a short postharvest time, and a considerable proportion of harvested mangoes become spoiled due to the postharvest decay in mango-producing areas of the world. The current study was designed to evaluate the effects of chitosan on the storage life of mango. Mango samples were coated with 750, 1000, and 1500 ppm chitosan solution, before storing them in the open or zip-bags under ambient and refrigeration conditions for different storage periods. Changes in different physical and chemical parameters were recorded to evaluate the treatments’ effectiveness in extending fruit shelf-life and sustaining postharvest quality of mangoes. The results showed that chitosan coating was able to reduce weight loss up to 65% in comparison to the uncoated control. Total mold and bacterial counts were also significantly lower in postharvest mangos when they were coated with chitosan compared to the uncoated samples. In addition, different fruit quality attributes, such as vitamin C content, titratable acidity, sugar content, ash, and protein content were also retained to a considerable extent by the chitosan coatings. Chitosan at refrigeration temperature (4 °C) with zip-bag packaging had a greater positive effect on fruit shelf-life, weight maintenance, and quality attributes than ambient temperature. Among the different coating concentrations, 1000 ppm chitosan solutions could provide better performance to extend the shelf-life of mango fruit while maintaining quality attributes. Altogether, our findings suggest that chitosan coating effectively prolongs the storage life of mango fruit and maintains fruit quality during storage, and offers promising potential for successful commercialization of this edible coating for mango growers and the industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Storage and Quality Management of Horticultural Products)
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23 pages, 3572 KiB  
Article
Improvement of Postharvest Quality and Bioactive Compounds Content of Persimmon Fruits after Hydrocolloid-Based Edible Coating Application
by Muhammad Shahzad Saleem, Shaghef Ejaz, Muhammad Akbar Anjum, Sajid Ali, Sajjad Hussain, Sezai Ercisli, Gulce Ilhan, Romina Alina Marc, Sona Skrovankova and Jiri Mlcek
Horticulturae 2022, 8(11), 1045; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8111045 - 7 Nov 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4089
Abstract
Persimmon fruits are often affected by large postharvest losses due to rapid ripening and the early onset of senescence. To reduce such losses in fresh fruits, the application of hydrocolloid-based edible coatings was conducted. Therefore, a plant hydrocolloid-based gum, tragacanth gum (TCG), was [...] Read more.
Persimmon fruits are often affected by large postharvest losses due to rapid ripening and the early onset of senescence. To reduce such losses in fresh fruits, the application of hydrocolloid-based edible coatings was conducted. Therefore, a plant hydrocolloid-based gum, tragacanth gum (TCG), was applied to persimmon fruits at 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% TCG concentrations, and stored at 20 ± 2 °C and 80–85% relative humidity for 20 days (analysis at 0, 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th day). As a result of TCG application on persimmon fruits, there were greatly suppressed respiration rates, ethylene production, weight loss, decay incidence, and H2O2 and malondialdehyde content. In addition, TCG-coated persimmon fruits had higher concentrations of bioactive compounds including phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, ascorbic acid, and soluble tannin. Higher enzymatic antioxidant activities and lower softening enzyme activities were also recorded for TCG-coated persimmon fruits. Uncoated persimmon fruits quickly lost fruit quality attributes like color, firmness, taste, and aroma during storage compared to coated ones. Based on our findings, the use of TCG, especially at the concentration of 1% TCG, can be recommended to be applied as the edible coating to maintain the nutritional, biochemical, and commercial quality of persimmon fruits during ambient storage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Storage and Quality Management of Horticultural Products)
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23 pages, 8476 KiB  
Article
Temperature Difference in Loading Area (Tarmac) during Handling of Air Freight Operations and Distance of Production Area Affects Quality of Fresh Mango Fruits (Mangifera indica L. ‘Nam Dok Mai Si Thong’)
by Kraisuwit Srisawat, Panmanas Sirisomboon, Umed Kumar Pun, Warawut Krusong, Samak Rakmae, Nattawut Chaomuang, Pornkanya Mawilai, Thadchapong Pongsuttiyakorn, Chalisa Chookaew and Pimpen Pornchaloempong
Horticulturae 2022, 8(11), 1001; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8111001 - 27 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3879
Abstract
Mango (Mangifera indica L.) ‘Nam Dok Mai Si Thong’ is an important cultivar for export from Thailand. Export mainly takes place via air transport, but for about 2 h at the loading area (tarmac), unit loading devices (ULDs) are exposed to ambient [...] Read more.
Mango (Mangifera indica L.) ‘Nam Dok Mai Si Thong’ is an important cultivar for export from Thailand. Export mainly takes place via air transport, but for about 2 h at the loading area (tarmac), unit loading devices (ULDs) are exposed to ambient environmental conditions. In this research, the effects of different temperature conditions at the loading area (tarmac) and the distance of the production area from the tarmac on the quality of fresh mango fruits were studied. The treatments included three temperature conditions for 2 h (simulated handling in tarmac)—constant temperature (20 °C), non-insulated or insulated and exposed to sun—and two distances of the tarmac from the production area—short distance (i.e., transport occurring 53 h after harvest) and long distance (i.e., transport occurring 70 h after harvest). The temperature variation in the boxes exposed to the sun was greater in the non-insulated than in the insulated boxes, but this effect was more pronounced in fruit from the short-distance production area (28.1 °C insulated and 36.9 °C non-insulated) than in fruit from the long-distance production area (34.2 °C insulated and 38 °C non-insulated). Insulation and short distance increased the shelf life, decreased weight loss, delayed the decrease in average firmness and rupture force, etc. The insulation of mango fruit boxes mitigates the deleterious effect of exposure to 2 h of direct sun by reducing the increase in temperature, thus improving the shelf life and quality of mango fruit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Storage and Quality Management of Horticultural Products)
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9 pages, 1574 KiB  
Communication
Research on the Use of Thermal Imaging as a Method for Detecting Fungal Growth in Apples
by Edyta Lipińska, Katarzyna Pobiega, Kamil Piwowarek and Stanisław Błażejak
Horticulturae 2022, 8(10), 972; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8100972 - 20 Oct 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2434
Abstract
This study assesses whether thermal imaging can be utilized for detecting and monitoring the level of plant product contamination with apples used as an example. The growth of Penicillium expansum, Botrytis cinerea, and Rhizopus stolonifer on apples contaminated with these fungi [...] Read more.
This study assesses whether thermal imaging can be utilized for detecting and monitoring the level of plant product contamination with apples used as an example. The growth of Penicillium expansum, Botrytis cinerea, and Rhizopus stolonifer on apples contaminated with these fungi was investigated by measuring temperature changes using a thermovision camera. The results showed a significant relationship between the temperature of apples and the growth of microorganisms, as well as that the temperature changes occurred in two stages (temperature of the contaminated apples increased on the first day but then decreased). Significant differences were found between the temperature of the apples showing microbial growth and the noncontaminated control sample, which indicates that the thermal imaging technique has a potential application in microbial quality control. Automation of the production process and attempts on the intensification of production capacity have resulted in the need to improve individual stages of product quality control. Thermovision-based methods have a high potential in this field, as they represent an innovative and noninvasive alternative to conventional microbiological diagnostic methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Storage and Quality Management of Horticultural Products)
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10 pages, 2042 KiB  
Article
Postharvest Exogenous Melatonin Treatment of Table Grape Berry Enhances Quality and Maintains Bioactive Compounds during Refrigerated Storage
by Mohamed A. Nasser, Mohamed M. El-Mogy, Mina S. F. Samaan, Karim M. Hassan, Salwa M. El-Sayed, Moodi Saham Alsubeie, Doaa Bahaa Eldin Darwish, Samy F. Mahmoud, Nadi Awad Al-Harbi, Salem Mesfir Al-Qahtani, Fahad M. Alzuaibr and Hany G. Abd El-Gawad
Horticulturae 2022, 8(10), 860; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8100860 - 21 Sep 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2588
Abstract
Table grape berries are classified as a perishable crop that deteriorates quickly after harvest. The application of melatonin after harvest was found to be effective for retarding senescence and slowing ripening. In the current study, we tested the influence of two melatonin concentrations [...] Read more.
Table grape berries are classified as a perishable crop that deteriorates quickly after harvest. The application of melatonin after harvest was found to be effective for retarding senescence and slowing ripening. In the current study, we tested the influence of two melatonin concentrations (50 and 100 µmol) as a postharvest application on quality, bioactive compounds, and enzyme activities of grape berries cv “Crimson” stored at 0 ± 1 °C and 90% relative humidity (RH) for 35 days. Our results indicated that melatonin application extends the shelf-life of berries by reducing weight loss and maintaining total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), berry adherence strength, and firmness. Melatonin treatment also reduced pectin methyl esterase (PME) and polygalactouranase (PG) enzyme activities compared to the control. Moreover, O2•− and H2O2 rates in berries were reduced by high melatonin concentration. Moreover, peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) enzyme activities were increased by melatonin application. Our findings suggested using melatonin postharvest to increase shelf life and maintain quality attributes during refrigerated storage, which could be advantageous on a large scale. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Storage and Quality Management of Horticultural Products)
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Review

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20 pages, 1120 KiB  
Review
Himalayan Horticulture Produce Supply Chain Disruptions and Sustainable Business Solution—A Case Study on Kiwi Fruit in Uttarakhand
by Kushika Sharma, Rupesh Kumar and Amit Kumar
Horticulturae 2022, 8(11), 1018; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8111018 - 1 Nov 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5331
Abstract
Uttarakhand, a state in the northern region of India which is traversed by the Himalayas, grows a variety of horticultural crops (e.g., fruits, vegetables, spices, and flowers) and is experienced with large-scale horticulture production at the national and/or international levels. Due to the [...] Read more.
Uttarakhand, a state in the northern region of India which is traversed by the Himalayas, grows a variety of horticultural crops (e.g., fruits, vegetables, spices, and flowers) and is experienced with large-scale horticulture production at the national and/or international levels. Due to the wide variation in the climatic conditions and growing patterns, its pattern varies from harvest to harvest and from one province to another in terms of range, production, and yield. One of the most lucrative industries in Uttarakhand’s hilly areas is horticultural cultivation. It substitutes for the neighborhood economy and helps farmers make a living. According to the literature, no work on the supply chain management of fruits in the hilly areas of Uttarakhand has yet been documented to analyze the growth of horticulture cultivation. Thus, the primary objective of this paper is to focus on the supply chain management of kiwi fruit, a type of major growing fruit in Uttarakhand’s Bageshwar area. Additionally, this paper will offer a business plan for small-scale farmers to boost employment, economic development, and benefits. This study contributes to the discussion of the problems with the Himalayan fruit supply chain that is specific to the kiwi fruit and how a sustainable business model like horti-tourism can enable greater revenue generation for farmers while also resolving the problems with the Himalayan produce supply chain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Storage and Quality Management of Horticultural Products)
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