Post Harvest Management of Horticultural Crops

Harvesting

Harvesting is the gathering of plant parts that are of commercial interest. Harvesting of fruits, vegetables and flowers generally involves separating them from the vital sources of water, nutrients and growth regulators. Harvesting also bring out wound responses like ethylene production and increased respiration in the tissue. Mature tissue generally shows only small responses to harvesting because it stored carbohydrates reserves and relatively low respiration and transpiration rates, and its destined for natural separation by abscission any way. Rapidly metabolizing tissue such as leafy vegetables/immature fruits & vegetables exhibits larger responses to harvesting.
Harvest the produce when the heat load is low, however around–the–clock harvesting is done when machinery are used to meet the cost of the machine and factory processing schedule.

Harvest: is a specific and singe deliberate action to separates the food stuff with or without non edible portion from its growth medium.

Example:

• Plucking of F, V & Flowers - Reaping of cereals
• Lifting of fish from water - Lifting of tuber or roots from soil etc.

Important factors conceded while harvesting crops are:

• Delicacy of the crop (soft –grapes/strawberry: hard - melons)
• Importance of speed during/after harvest
• Economy of the harvest operation.

‘Remember damage done to produce during harvest is irreparable’.

Improper harvesting leads to shortening of shelf life due to

• Increased respiration and ethylene bio synthesis
• Increased levels of micro organism infection through damaged areas
• Possible increase in physiological disorder

Employing improper harvesting methods will results in damage to crop by

I. Cuts - where produce comes in contact with sharp object during harvesting/ handling
II. Bruising - is caused by

• Compression–due to over filling of boxes, over load in transportations and bulky storing.
• Impact – due to dropping or something hitting the produce
• Vibration – occur due to lose packing in transportation

An important precaution at harvest is to

• Avoid contaminating produce with pathogens. Practice such as allowing the mango stem end down on the ground to allow the sap to drain should be discouraged.
• Harvested produce should be kept under shaded tree or using tarpaulins/shade nets.


Harvesting can be performed by hand or mechanically. However, for some crops - eg. onions, potatoes, carrots and others - it is possible to use a combination of both systems. In such cases, the mechanical loosening of soil facilitates hand harvesting. The choice of one or other harvest system depends on the type of crop, destination and acreage to be harvested.

Fruits and vegetables for the fresh market are hand harvested while vegetables for processing or other crops grown on a large scale are mainly harvested mechanically (peas, beans, potato etc.).