Post Harvest Pathology

As a collection of papers that includes material presented at the 2008 International Congress for Plant Pathology, this text features research right at the leading edge of the field. The latest findings are particularly crucial in their implications for fruit production; an important market sector where in some areas up to 50 per cent of the crop can be lost after harvest. While post-harvest fruit treatments with fungicides are the most effective means to reduce decay, rising concerns about toxicity have led to the development of alternative approaches to disease control, including biological methods, the subject of three chapters of this book. With several new techniques requiring modification of current post-harvest practices, it is more important than ever to stay abreast of the latest information. Other chapters deal with the mechanisms of host fruit and vegetable resistance, fungal pathogenicity factors and their relationship with the host response, and a number of subjects related to disease assessments before harvest as well as their relationship to the postharvest treatment of fruits and vegetables. The book also includes several useful case studies of crops such as kiwifruit and peaches, where different approaches at the pre- and post-harvest levels are combined to good effect. With food production issues gaining an ever higher profile internationally, this text makes an important contribution to the debate.

The purpose of the book 'Postharvest Plant Pathology' is to provide its readers recent developments and updated comprehensive information on postharvest pathogens & diseases of major crops. This book explicates the fundamental aspects of postharvest diseases of crops and is conveniently divided into ten chapters, providing the latest information on the concept & types of postharvest diseases, economically significant postharvest pathogens & diseases of major crops, factors governing postharvest diseases, storage conditions, food safety issues, quiescence in post harvest pathogens, detailed & recent information on major mycotoxins, various approaches of postharvest disease management, integrated management strategies, biochemical & molecular aspects of postharvest diseases, apart from which, an exclusive chapter for discussing the postharvest nematode diseases and their management is also furnished. Impressive diagrams at appropriate places, convincing tables and suitable graphs / illustrations have been furnished. A bibliography providing the list of references cited has also been included. This book is first of its kind that covers the syllabus prescribed by the Indian Council of Agricultural and Research, New Delhi for postharvest plant pathology course for Undergraduate or Postgraduate degree programmes at various Agricultural and Horticultural Universities The information presented in this book, reflecting an extensive literature search, will be useful for teachers, researchers, students in several departments including Plant Pathology, Microbiology, Food Technology, Postharvest technology, Environmental Sciences, officials of the State Departments of Horticulture & Agriculture, personnel of Commercial Production Centers, Plant Quarantine, Certification agencies and Policy planners who are concerned with the production and supply of horticultural and agricultural produce of high quality and acceptable for human consumption.

Optimal distribution of fresh horticultural products entails prolonging their freshness and nutritional quality as long as possible after harvest. A major limitation to their marketing is decay after harvest, which is caused primarily by fungal pathogens. Postharvest Pathology of Fresh Horticultural Produce provides a comprehensive resource of information about the biology and control of postharvest diseases of many fresh horticultural products, citing sources from appropriate literature of any age, rather than only the most recent. The etiology and symptoms of postharvest diseases and the biology of postharvest pathogens are reviewed by leading experts, who are familiar with many of world’s most popular fresh fruits and vegetables and the diseases that affect them. Key aspects related to infection and epidemiology, methods to minimize postharvest decay losses, including use of conventional fungicides and alternative management strategies, harvest and handling practices, and other aspects are described for the most significant temperate, subtropical, and tropical fruits as well as fruit-like vegetables and leafy vegetables. Features: Provides comprehensive academic and practical reviews of postharvest diseases of fresh fruits and vegetables Discusses the economic importance, etiology, and epidemiology of the most significant postharvest diseases Includes quality color plates that allow the practical identification of disease symptoms Explains practical postharvest disease management actions, including the use of conventional fungicides and alternatives to their use The authors summarize a massive quantity of published information, and often apply their own considerable practical experience to identify and interpret the most significant information. This book is a valuable and comprehensive resource for industry professionals, academics, educators, students, consultants, pest control advisors, regulatory personnel, and others interested in this subject.

Focusing exclusively on postharvest vegetable studies, this book covers advances in biochemistry, plant physiology, and molecular physiology to maximize vegetable quality. The book reviews the principles of harvest and storage; factors affecting postharvest physiology, calcium nutrition and irrigation control; product quality changes during handling and storage; technologies to improve quality; spoilage factors and biocontrol methods; and storage characteristics of produce by category. It covers changes in sensory quality such as color, texture, and flavor after harvest and how biotechnology is being used to improve postharvest quality.

The purpose of the book Postharvest Plant Pathology is to provide its readers recent developments and updated comprehensive information on postharvest pathogens & diseases of major crops. This book explicates the fundamental aspects of postharvest diseases of crops and is conveniently divided into ten chapters, providing the latest information on the concept & types of postharvest diseases, economically significant postharvest pathogens & diseases of major crops, factors governing postharvest diseases, storage conditions, food safety issues, quiescence in post harvest pathogens, detailed & recent information on major mycotoxins, various approaches of postharvest disease management, integrated management strategies, biochemical & molecular aspects of postharvest diseases, apart from which, an exclusive chapter for discussing the postharvest nematode diseases and their management is also furnished. Note: T&F does not sell or distribute the hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. This title is co-published with NIPA.

Focusing on the great variety of research being done in the field of postharvest pathology, this volume presents a collection of topics concerning the diseases of harvested fruits and vegetables. Each chapter represents a separate unit which taken together create a better understanding of the whole subject. Topics include the causal agents of postharvest diseases of fruits and vegetables, their sources and their ways of penetration into the host; factors that may accelerate the development of the pathogen in the host - and those that suppress them; a list of the main pathogens of fruits and vegetables, their hosts and the diseases elicited by them; and a detailed description of the major diseases of selected groups of fruits and solanaceous vegetable fruits. Attack mechanisms of pathogens and defense mechanisms of the host are examined as are treatments aimed at suppressing postharvest diseases. The search for natural and safe chemical compounds and the variety of alternative physical and biological methods for use in postharvest disease control are emphasized. Teachers and students who focus on postharvest pathology, scientists in research institutes, companies dealing with fruit and vegetable preservation technologies and for all those striving to improve the quality of harvested fruits and vegetables will find this book of great interest.

This collection of papers includes some of the presentation given at the International congress of Plant Pathology held in Beijing in 2013 in the session of Recent Development in Postharvest Pathology. Fruit production for human consumption is an important part of the market economy. Any waste during to spoilage and pest infestation, in the field and the postharvest phase, results in significant economic losses which are more pronounced as the losses occur closer to the time of produce sale. Careful handling of perishable produce is needed for the prevention of postharvest diseases at different stages during harvesting. Handling, transport and storage in order to preserve the high quality produce. The extent of postharvest losses varies markedly depending on the commodities and country estimated to range between 4 and 8% in countries where postharvest refrigeration facilities are well developed to 30% where facilities are minimal. Microbial decay is one of the main factors that determine losses compromising the quality of the fresh produce. For the development of an integrated approach for decay management, cultural, preharvest, harvest and postharvest practices should be regarded as essential components that influence the complex interactions between host, pathogen, and environmental conditions. Orchards practices including preharvest fungicide applications can also directly reduce the development of postharvest fruit decay. Among postharvest practices, postharvest fruit treatments with fungicide are the most effective means to reduce decay. Ideally, these fungicides protect the fruit from infections that occur before treatment, including pathogen causing quiescent infections, as well from infection that are initiated after treatment during postharvest handling, shipment and marketing. The implementation of these alternatives techniques often requires modifying currently used postharvest practices and development of new formulation for their applications. The present chapters deal with the newest report related to postharvest pathology in the world.

POSTHARVEST PATHOGENS AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT Postharvest diseases caused by microbial pathogens account for millions of dollars in losses of both durable and perishable produce products every year. Moreover, with consumers increasingly demanding minimally processed vegetables and fruits--which can be invaded by human pathogens--there is an imperative need for suitable protective measures to provide pathogen-free commodities that are free from, or contain only acceptable levels of, chemical residues. Providing details of both conventional and modern molecular techniques applicable for the detection, identification, and differentiation of field and storage microbial pathogens, Postharvest Pathogens and Disease Management: * Discusses diseases of both durables and perishables during transit and storage * Provides a basic understanding of the effects of handling and storage practices as well as field conditions and product susceptibility on the development of postharvest diseases * Reveals, as a cautionary note, the potential hazards of mycotoxins with carcinogenic properties that can contaminate fruits and vegetables * Contains detailed information derived from elucidative evidence and disease data in order to explain the infection process and subsequent stages of disease development * Helps readers to avoid conditions that favor disease incidence and spread * Includes real life examples of disease management strategies to help readers develop effective disease management systems suitable for different ecosystems * Emphasizes the importance of integrating several different effective methods in tandem, including the development of cultivars with resistance to postharvest diseases; the selection of suitable analytical methods; and the effective use of biocontrol agents and chemicals * Presents protocols for numerous techniques and basic methods, making the book a distinctive and highly useful teaching and research tool Postharvest Pathogens and Disease Management offers readers insight into the principles and methods of avoiding and managing postharvest diseases of fruit and vegetable products in an efficient, economical, and environmentally feasible manner, allowing producers to sell safer, higher-quality produce to the public and prevent the losses associated with postharvest disease.