1ST SEMESTER

Post Harvest Management includes the processes done immediately after harvesting the produce, including cooling, cleaning, sorting and packing. The instant a crop is removed from the ground and separated prom its parent plant it begins to deteriorate. Therefore postharvest treatment are given to increase its shelf life and maintain its quality. 

Postharvest

- For minimizing qualitative as well as qualitative losses after harvesting 

- 40% losses in fruits and vegetables due to improper handling storage, packaging transportation

Reasons for Losses

- Lack of clear concept of packing house operations

- Lack of awareness among the growers, contractors or even the policy makers. 

- Lack of infastructures

- Lack realization of its importance 

- Inadequate technical support

- Inadequate postharvest quality control

- Unorganized marketing

- Absence of pre-cooling and cold storage

- Inadequate market facilities, market intelligence and market information service.

- Poor storage facilities

Causes of Food Deterioration

1. Growth of Microorganisms

2. Activities of natural food enzymes

3. Insects, parasites and rodents

4. Temperature

5. Moisture

6. Air

7. Light and Time

Reasons for Losses of Vegetables

1. Handling of raw produce through many stages

2. Very low or almost negligible management and processing which leads to losses even in valuable by product. 

3. On availability of cold chain and efficient equipment and machinery for processing in areas. 

4. Low level entreprenurial urge in rural areas due to constraints of finance 

Factors Affecting Post Harvest Losses

1. Variety

2. Management

3. Method of Stage of Harvesting 

4. Improper grader and packing 

5. Storing 

6. Transport and Marketing (Physical and Mechanical Damage 

Postharvest Management is Pre-requisite to Value Addition

1. Pre- hand maturity indication 

2. Curing after harvest 

3. Sorting

4. Washing and removal  of surface moisture 

5.  Modified Atmos Packaging 

6. Crushing and Packing 

Benefits of Cooling Vegetables

1. reduces respiration : lessens perishability

2. reduces transpiration: lessens water loss less shriveling

3. reduces ethylene production: slow ripening

4. decreases activity of microorganisms

5. reduces browing and loss of texture flavor and nutrients. 

Pre-harvest Factors on Post Harvest Quality

- temperature 

-relative humidity

-nutrition 

- irrigation

- growth regulates 

Pre-harvest control measures

1. Curing- is most simple effective method to prevent storage less and decay.

2. Grading

3. Packaging- is a basic tool in Post Harvest Management of highly perishable commodities like fruit and vegetables. 

Major Causes of Post Harvest Losses

- metabolic grading

- mechanical

- developmental

- parasitic diseases

- physiological deterioration

- lack of market demand