Post harvest Management of Horticultural Crops (2+1)

Introduction

Postharvest disorders are common in many crops, where storage at low temperature for long periods is required. The most important non-pathological problem encountered in the market chain is physiological disorder. “Physiological disorders refer to breakdown of tissue in response to an adverse environment, particularly temperature and/or nutritional deficiency during growth and development”.

Metabolic disturbance occurring at reduced temperature are generally divided into two main groups
1. Chilling injury – results from the exposures of tissue to temperature below critical level. Injury is caused due to change in the physical state of membrane lipids, dissociation of enzymes and other proteins.
2. Physiological disorders – problems which arises other than the chilling injury.

Physiological disorders involve plant tissue breakdown that is not directly caused either by pests and diseases or by mechanical damage – which includes tissue disruption upon ice crystal formation associated with freezing injury. Physiological disorders may develop in response to various pre (nutrient accumulation or deficiency) and postharvest (low-temperature stress during storage) conditions.