Crop Post-Harvest: Science and Technology, Volume 3

About the Editors Debbie Rees and John Orchard are based at the Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, U.K. Graham Farrell is a technical writer and editor specialising in plant health and analysis.

• Contributors x1 Introduction 1Debbie ReesPerishable plant products 1Fruits 1Nutritional quality of perishable plant produce 2Post-harvest technology and the expansion of international trade in high-value perishables 2Post-harvest technology, food supply and income generation in developing economies 32 Tomatoes 5Elhadi M. Yahia and Jeffrey K. BrechtIntroduction 5Post-harvest physiology and fruit quality 5Post-harvest practices and problems 12Future challenges or developments 173 Bananas (Musa spp.) 24David W. Turner and Jeanie A. FortescueIntroduction 24Post-harvest physiology and management of bananas 25Conclusions 384 Citrus 43Lise Korsten and Peter TavernerIntroduction 43Physiology of citrus fruits 45Physiological disorders 48Citrus post-harvest diseases 49Minor decays 69Disease control 69Citrus handling practices 72Food safety 77Summary 785 Apples 88John Golding and Jenny JoblingApple fruit anatomy 89Apple physiology, maturity and ripening 91Nutritional value and human health 95Pre-harvest factors affecting storage 95The effect of varieties and rootstock on quality and post-harvest storage 97Storage and handling 97Apple trends and conclusions 1026 Mango 108Zora Singh and Sukhvinder Pal SinghIntroduction 108Maturity indices 109Changes during ripening 111Ripening conditions 115Post-harvest handling and storage 116Post-harvest disorders 122Post-harvest insect pest disinfestation 126Post-harvest diseases 129Future research 1327 Pineapple 143Nimal Adikaram and Charmalie AbayasekaraIntroduction 143Fruit composition 143Fruit development and physiology 144Post-harvest handling 145Post-harvest diseases and disorders 1478 Avocado 159Elhadi M. YahiaIntroduction 159Fruit development 161Compositional changes during fruit development, and the nutritional and health value of avocado fruit 162Quality components and indices 164Major causes of post-harvest losses 164Physiological disorders and their control 165Diseases 166Insect pests 169Quarantine treatments 170Maturity and harvesting indices 171Harvesting 172Post-harvest handling 173Packing and packaging 173Cooling and storage 174Pre-storage treatments 175Modified (MA) and controlled atmospheres (CA) 175Ripening 178Irradiation 1799 Grapes 187Christian Chervin, Julia Aked and Carlos H. CrisostoIntroduction, botany, cultivation and product statistics 187Morphology and physiology 188Post-harvest technology for wine and juice grapes 193Post-harvest technology for dried grapes 195Post-harvest technology for table grapes 19710 Stone Fruit 212Carlos H. Crisosto and Kevin R. DayIntroduction 212Stone fruit physiology 213Peach and nectarine post-harvest handling systems 213Plum post-harvest handling systems 22011 Soft Fruit 226Leon A. TerryOrigins and economic importance 226General fruit anatomy 226Fruit development 227Fruit ripening 228Post-harvest handling 231Selective gaseous atmosphere storage 232Post-harvest disease 235Genetic transformation 240Conclusion 24112 Kiwifruit, Guava, Passion Fruit and Lychee 247Graham FarrellKiwifruit 247Guava 250Passion fruit 252Lychee 25313 Prickly Pear Fruit and Cladodes 264Elhadi M. YahiaIntroduction 264Harvestable plant parts 265Post-harvest physiology 271Physiological disorders 271Diseases and rots 271Insect pests 272Physical damage 272Quality characteristics and criteria 272Packaging 273Modified (MA) and controlled atmosphere (CA) 273Fresh-cut 280Summary 28014 Cucurbits 286Steven A. Sargent and Donald N. MaynardIntroduction to the cultivated cucurbits 286Post-harvest physiology of cucurbits 295Post-harvest handling 30415 Herbs, Spices and Flavourings 317Graham FarrellConsumption and marketing trends 318Post-harvest issues in herbs and spices 318Post-harvest losses 33116 Potatoes 334Chris Bishop, Debbie Rees, Muhammad U. A. Cheema, Glyn Harper and Graeme StroudIntroduction 334Post-harvest physiology 334Tuber storage diseases and disease prevention 339Major post-harvest pests and diseases 339Tuber storage 344Post-harvest handling of potatoes 34917 Onions, Shallots and Garlic 360Lesley Currah, Katherine Cools and Leon A. TerryIntroduction 360Trade in onions, shallots and garlic 361Historical reviews and key findings 365Onion anatomy and physiology from a storage viewpoint 366Garlic anatomy and physiology 367Factors affecting the post-harvest performance of onions and garlic 367Harvesting techniques 369Curing 370Onion storage in cool climates: technical advances and current recommendations 370Garlic harvesting, curing and storage 371The physics of onion and garlic storage: influences of temperature and relative humidity 372Chemical constituents of onions, shallots and garlic 377Garlic storage experiments 379Diversity of storage methods 379Technology of onion storage 380Onion pest and disease problems in storage and during transport 381Garlic pathogens and pests in storage 384Long-distance transport by ship 384Marketing onions and garlic to consumers 384Waste disposal 38518 Tropical Root Crops 392Debbie Rees, Andrew Westby, Keith Tomlins, Quirien van Oirschot, Muhammad U. A. Cheema, Eric Cornelius and Muhammad AmjadIntroduction 392Post-harvest physiology of fresh root crops 394Botany and physiology of cassava 394Botany and physiology of sweet potato 396Botany and physiology of yam 399Storage, handling and processing of cassava 402Storage handling and processing of sweet potato 404Pests and diseases of sweet potato 406Storage, handling and processing of yams 40719 Cut Flowers 414Daryl Joyce and John FaragherBiology 414Post-harvest handling practices 420Marketing and consumption 429Preservation 431Conclusion 432Index 439

“Nonetheless and taken overall, this book will be a useful resource for professionals and students with a fundamental and practical interest in the challenge to maintain the post-harvest quality of perishable horticultural products.”  (Experimental Agriculture, 4 October 2012)