791-022 Postharvest Technology

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Objectives:

The objective of this subject is to extend participant's ability to:

• describe the physiology of senescence and ripening of horticultural produce;

• describe the characteristics of horticultural produce;

• recommend a program for the control of produce deterioration;

• recommend techniques for the harvest, storage, preservation and transportation of produce;

• prepare produce for marketing.

Content:

Senescence and theories of aging, relationship between growth, maturation, and maturity indices, ripening and senescence, physiology of senescence, postharvest environment; temperature, humidity, light, atmospheric gases, gas exchange of harvested commodities, respiration of harvested commodities, temperature, oxygen tension, carbon dioxide tension, respiratory quotient, ethylene and other volatile emanations, physiology of ripening, the control of ripening; temperature, oxygen, carbon dioxide, ethylene, growth regulators, the respiratory climacteric, growth regulating substances in relation to ripening and senescence, fresh commodity preservation techniques; refrigeration, controlled atmospheric and hypobaric storage, gamma radiation, senescence inhibitors, quality factors, commercial storage for fruits, vegetables, flowers and nursery crops, produce transportation systems.

Assessment: