This course is from the essential requirements for the students in the
last year before graduating. It contains many elements: Deterioration of horticultural products after
harvesting. Estimation of postharvest loss, Concepts of maturity and ripening, Chemical
and physical changes during maturity and ripening, The climacteric phenomenon,
theories and classification of fruits, Maturity indices and quality criteria, Identification
of recent methods in harvesting, cleaning, waxing, packaging and transport of
horticultural produce, Methods of precooling, storage methods (cold storage, CA
and MA storage), Physiological disorders
and pathological diseases after harvest, and finally, Methods of handling and optimum storage
conditions of horticultural crops.
By succeeding in the course, the student will
able to:
1- Clarify timing
and harvesting operations.
2- Explaining
the most important physiological process and changes taking place in fruits
from harvesting to consumption.
3- Clarify
handling, hauling cleaning packaging and packing
4- compare between storage methods, maintaining produce and energy calculations.
5- distinguish between recent techniques of
harvesting during hauling cleaning packaging and packing of fruits, vegetables
and cut flowers.
