Post Harvest Management of Horticultural Crops

Introduction

Succulent nature of fruits and vegetables make them easily invaded by these organisms. The common pathogens causing rots in fruits and vegetables are fungi such as Alternaria, Botrytis, Diplodia, Phomopsis, Rhizopus, Pencillium and Fusarium and among bacteria, Erwinia and Pseudomonas cause extensive damage.
Losses from post-harvest disease in fresh produce can be both quantitative and qualitative. Loss in quantity occurs where deep penetration of decay makes the infected produce unusable. Loss in quality occurs when the disease affects only the surface of produce causing skin blemishes that can lower the commercial value of a crop.