Postharvest Disease Development

Postharvest losses of fresh produce have always been an obstacle in agriculture. About one third of global fresh fruits and vegetables are lost because their quality has dropped below an acceptance limit. The postharvest quality and shelf life of fresh produce are also determined before harvest. However, postharvest quality is also affected by many practices during and after harvest such as temperature management, controlled and modified atmosphere, coatings, physical treatments, biocontrol, and more. This Special Issue on “Postharvest Disease Development: Pre and/or Postharvest Practices” gathers papers that deal with preharvest and postharvest factors that affect and maintain fresh produce quality after harvest.

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.

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.

Written by a diverse group of research professionals, Postharvest Decay: Control Strategies is aimed at a wide audience, including researchers involved in the study of postharvest handling of agricultural commodities, and undergraduate and graduate students researching postharvest topics. Growers, managers, and operators working at packinghouses and storage, retail, and wholesale facilities can also benefit from this book. The information in this book covers a wide range of topics related to selected fungi, such as taxonomy, infection processes, economic importance, causes of infection, the influence of pre-harvest agronomic practices and the environment, the effect of handling operations, and the strategic controls for each host-pathogen, including traditional and non-traditional alternatives. Includes eleven postharvest fungi causing serious rots in numerous fruits and vegetables Offers selected microorganisms including pathogens of commercially important tropical, subtropical and temperate crops worldwide, such as tomatoes, pears, apples, peaches, citrus, banana, papaya, and mango, among others Presents content developed by recognized and experienced high-level scientists, working in the postharvest pathology area worldwide Provides basic information about each fungus, pre- and postharvest factors that contribute to infection and control measurements, including the use of chemicals and non-traditional methods

Postharvest losses of fresh produce have always been an obstacle in agriculture. About one third of global fresh fruits and vegetables are lost because their quality has dropped below an acceptance limit. The postharvest quality and shelf life of fresh produce are also determined before harvest. However, postharvest quality is also affected by many practices during and after harvest such as temperature management, controlled and modified atmosphere, coatings, physical treatments, biocontrol, and more. This Special Issue on “Postharvest Disease Development: Pre and/or Postharvest Practices” gathers papers that deal with preharvest and postharvest factors that affect and maintain fresh produce quality after harvest.

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.

Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. However, one third of fruit and vegetables are lost after harvest every year. Most losses are caused by pathogen (mostly fungi) infections, which lead to postharvest decay. In addition, some postharvest fungal pathogens can produce toxic secondary metabolites (i.e. mycotoxins) during their infecting periods. Mycotoxin contamination may cause serious food safety issues. At present, the use of synthetic fungicides is still the main means to control postharvest diseases. However, the development of resistance in fungal pathogens to fungicides and the growing public concern over the health and environmental risks associated with high levels of pesticides in fruits and vegetables have urged researchers to develop alternative methods of disease control. A deeper understanding of the infecting mechanisms of postharvest pathogens will provide great insight into developing new controlling strategies.

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.