Instant Insights: Improving the shelf life of horticultural produce

Description

This collection features four peer-reviewed reviews on improving the shelf life of horticultural produce.

The first chapter introduces the concept of smart distribution and highlights how optimising the management of produce distribution systems can reduce loss and waste in the horticultural sector and extend shelf life by minimising quality deterioration. The chapter also discusses the use of remote sensing technology to determine food quality.

The second chapter reviews a selection of pre- and postharvest strategies used to optimise fruit quality. The chapter considers ways of measuring harvest maturity, as well as the role of temperature controlled environments in extending the shelf life of tree fruit.

The third chapter summarises the wealth of recent research on the preservation of fruit quality in mango production, as well as how postharvest operations can be optimised to reduce loss and waste and maximise shelf life, including the use of controlled environments, waxes and edible coatings.

The final chapter explores the advantages and disadvantages of cultivating ripening-impaired tomato mutants and genetically engineered genotypes characterized by inhibition of the ripening process. The chapter considers the use of ethylene inhibitors and controlled environments as a means of mitigating devastating yield losses.

Table of contents

• Chapter 1 - Smart distribution to maintain shelf life of horticultural produce: J. K. Brecht, University of Florida, USA; I. Uysal and M. C. N. Nunes, University of South Florida, USA; J. P. Emond, The Illuminate Group, USA; S. Mercier, Décathlon Canada, Canada; and U. McCarthy, Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland; 1 Introduction 2 Smart distribution 3 Logistics and supply chain management 4 Shelf-life modeling of fresh produce 5 Remote sensing of food quality and the environmental factors that influence food quality 6 Conclusion 7 References

• Chapter 2 - Pre- and post-harvest strategies to optimize fruit quality and shelf life: Peter Toivonen, Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada; 1 Introduction 2 Managing biological variance to improve the success of post-harvest technologies 3 Measuring harvest maturity 4 Improved sorting operations 5 Post-harvest technologies and temperature control 6 Case study: post-harvest strategies in cherry cultivation in British Columbia 7 Conclusion 8 Where to look for further information 9 References

• Chapter 3 - Post-harvest storage management of mango fruit: Noam Alkan, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Israel; and Anirudh Kumar, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Israel and Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU), India; 1 Introduction: the mango fruit 2 Harvest operations 3 Post-harvest operations: managing mango fruit diseases 4 Post-harvest operations: use of ethylene, 1-MCP, modified and controlled atmospheres, waxes and edible coatings 5 Post-harvest operations: quarantine treatments 6 Preparing fruit for market 7 Conclusions 8 Where to look for further information 9 Abbreviations 10 References

• Chapter 4 - Understanding and improving the shelf life of tomatoes: K. Wang and A. K. Handa, Purdue University, USA; and A. K. Mattoo, USDA-ARS, USA; 1 Introduction 2 Natural variability 3 Ripening mutants 4 Molecular determinants 5 Role of cell wall proteins 6 Role of epidermal waxes 7 Hormonal regulation 8 Controlling pathogen-based impairments 9 Pre-harvest strategies 10 Post-harvest chemical application 11 Post-harvest management 12 Conclusion and future trends 13 Where to look for further information 14 Acknowledgements 15 References