(IPPM) in Vegetables - Vegetableipmasia.org

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Resource Manual on IPPM in Vegetable World Education Philippines, Inc. PART XI: POST HARVEST PROCESSING OF VEGETABLES A. Harvest and Handling Considerations Besides the initial capital investment in the greenhouse structure for crop production, thought must be given to the requirements for proper harvesting, packing, and shipping. Each of these operations are interrelated, and must work together smoothly to maintain quality for maximum postharvest life. Specific postharvest operations depend on the particular greenhouse facility and on the number and types of crops grown. The principal considerations for these components are outlined below. Maintaining Quality The primary goal of harvest and postharvest handling is to maintain vegetable quality as close as possible to harvest condition through subsequent handling operations. Maintaining high quality is the thread that links each of the components in the harvest/handling system, and carelessness at any stage can quickly change the grade. Typical quality parameters include color, firmness, size, shape, flavor, aroma and freedom from injury and disease. Vegetable quality is most often reduced by two factors: mechanical injury and poor temperature management. Mechanical injuries include cuts, abrasions, and punctures incurred during harvest and handling operations, and bruises caused by drops or overfilled containers. These injuries provide entry points for decay organisms and reduce storage life. Proper temperature management involves the rapid removal of field heat shortly after harvest to the optimal storage temperature (known as rapid cooling, or precooling). Once cooled, the product should be kept at that temperature, usually with high relative humidity, during subsequent handling and storage. 1. Harvest Operations Crops must be harvested at the optimal maturity for the intended use. Proper harvesting techniques are also essential for minimizing mechanical injury. Frequent sanitizing of hands/gloves and clippers can assist in reducing damage and disease. A reusable picking container that has smooth inner surfaces, is not too deep and is made of an easily cleanable material, like plastic must be selected. After harvest, the product should be protected from the sun to prevent temperature increase. Provision should also be made for gently transporting the harvested product to the packing/storage area. Prior to reuse, the containers should be cleansed and sanitized to minimize the spread of decay pathogens. 200
Resource Manual on IPPM in Vegetable World Education Philippines, Inc. Optimal Harvest Factors Vegetable crops comprise a wide range of plant structures and organs, such as roots (carrots), tubers (potatoes), leaves (lettuce), stalks (celery), immature fruits (cucumbers and peppers), and mature fruits (tomatoes). In order to maximize storage life, crops must be harvested at the appropriate stage of growth, or maturity. There is a distinction between maturity and ripeness. Horticultural maturity is defined as "the stage of development when a plant or plant part possesses the prerequisites for utilization by consumers for a particular purpose" (Watada, et al., 1984). Cucumbers, lettuce, and peppers are harvested at various stages (horticultural maturity) prior to reaching physiological maturity, or completion of the growth phase. Ripening is a process that occurs in fruits after they have reached physiological maturity. Changes in the postharvest color, texture, and flavor of tomatoes occur during the ripening phase. Leaf lettuce is harvested when the leaves are of typical color for the lettuce type being grown, not wilted, and free from defects such as tipburn. The entire plants can be harvested and placed directly into individual plastic sleeves or containers. Roots should be rinsed free of any soil, media, etc. By keeping the roots moist, wilting will be minimized during subsequent handling. The roots can also be trimmed partially or entirely at harvest. Cucumbers should be picked without stems at the appropriate developmental stage; peppers and tomatoes should be picked with stems attached. Cucumbers and peppers require frequent, multiple harvests in order to supply a uniformly mature product with optimal quality to the desired market. Tomatoes are also harvested in multiple harvests when there is some color showing on the fruit surface, usually the breaker (less than 10% color) or turning (10 to 30% color) stages. Multiple harvests necessitate attentiveness on the part of the greenhouse manager and a reliable supply of labor. Harvesting should be done during the early morning hours to avoid accumulation of additional "field heat." Proper harvesting techniques must also be used to minimize injury. Workers should closely trim fingernails to reduce punctures. Peppers should be grasped so that they are detached with the stems intact. At harvest, the crops should be carefully placed in single or double layer containers to avoid bruising. Once filled with the harvested crop, the containers should be quickly, but carefully, transported to the packing shed to reduce mechanical injuries, such as bruises, abrasions, and cuts. Injuries provide sites for decay infection later during handling and marketing. Harvested vegetables should never be held in direct sunlight which leads to further fruit warming, wilting, or sunscald. For best protection during handling and shipping, these crops should be finally packed in single-layer containers. Fruits should be free of soil, waterspots, etc., and may require washing prior to packing. Containers should be selected for adequate strength to withstand stacking and shipping. Ventilation holes should be present (about 5% of the exposed surface area of the carton) to ensure sufficient air circulation during storage and shipping. Tomatoes are typically placed stemdown. However, tomatoes shipped in this manner will develop flat spots on the shoulders as the fruits ripen and soften. Cucumbers are quite 201
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ACKNOWLEDGM ENT World Education (IN
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1. Leaves 48 2. Flower 49 3. Fruit
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Sources 203 Part XII: Farm Record K
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