Small-Scale Postharvest Handling Practices: A Manual for Horticultural Crops (4th ed.)

The three main objectives of applying postharvest technology to harvested fruits and vegetables are:

1) To maintain quality (appearance, texture, flavor and nutritive value),

2) To protect food safety, and

3) To reduce losses between harvest and consumption.

Effective management during the postharvest period, rather than the level of sophistication of any given technology, is the key in reaching the desired objectives. While large-scale operations may benefit from investing in costly handling machinery and high-tech postharvest treatments, often these options are not practical for smallscale handlers. Instead, simple, low-cost technologies often can be more appropriate for small volume, limited resource commercial operations, farmers involved in direct marketing, as well as for suppliers to exporters in developing countries.

260 pages, illustrated

Publication Details

• Published: 2015
• Publisher: Uni.of CA, Davis
• Dewey Decimal: 635.046
• ECHO Library: 635.046 KIT