an overview of dr. parshant bakshi's israel visit
TRANSCRIPT
Financial assistance under: MASHAVCINADCO’s Training Centre, Volcani Agricultural Complex, Israel w. e. f. 13th February to 8th March, 2012Presentation by: Dr. Parshant Bakshi
POSTHARVEST PHYSIOLOGY OF FRESH COMMODITIES IN ISRAEL: An Overview
Contents Introduction Background and Purpose of MASHAV Lecture Schedule Principles of Postharvest Physiology Project work done during training Conclusion of project Acknowledgements Future Strategies
MASHAV - Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
“Genuine international partnership will not bepossible as long as there is a huge
difference in the standard of living, health,and education between nations.”
David Ben Gurion
Background of MASHAV Established in 1958 In charge of overall assistance activities technical and humanitarian aid An expression of the State of
Israel to fulfil its obligations as a member in the family of nations
Background of MASHAV The essence of a universal Jewish
value: to offer a helping hand MASHAV activities are carried out
through training programs in Israel and abroad, short-term consultancies and projects management
Over 3 lakh professionals from all over the world have participated in MASHAV training programs
Purpose of MASHAV To lead, plan and implement the State of Israel’s
development cooperation programs To provide assistance to countries in need as part of
Israel’s foreign policy To position Israel as a donor country in the
international development arena Strengthening the partnership between Israel and
the Jewish world. Promoting economic ties with developing countries Creating a bridge and acting in countries with which
Israel’s has no diplomatic relations
Uniqueness of MASHAVIsrael has a clear advantage in a number of areasExpertise based on know-howExperience – from developing to developed countryIsrael as a living laboratory of success in overcoming development challengesAdaptability to changing realitiesAbility to work as a laboratory for developing and implementing ideasIsrael is a source of know-how and technologyA network of professional technical and academic affiliates
MASHAV PDFhttp://www.mfa.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/3959432A-DBC0-47C6-97D7-A54B337F1377/0/MASHAVPresentation2010.pdf
MASHAV official site
Lecture ScheduleSur-name Name Department TopicAdler Uri Organic production
consultant Organic farming
Alkalay-Tuvia
Sharon Dept. of Postharvest Postharvest pathologist – non-chemical treatments, biological control, citrus
Ben Zeev Israel Head, Plant protection diagnostic services
Postharvest pathologist - grapes, litchi, tomato
Fallik Eli Dept. of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce
Postharvest pathologist – physical treatments, fruit-vegetables, sensory
Friedman Haya Dept. of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce
Molecular biologist – deciduous and stone fruits
Gal Bracha Ministry of Agriculture, Extension Services Extension specialist
Gidron Liat PPIS Experts in quality standardization and quality assurance
Heler Hadar NOSHEM MarketingHickson Brett Quality Standardization & Quality
Assurance ExpertMaturity standards of fruits in Israel
Kelman Diana Dir. Information Center, Dept. of Market Research
Food microbiologist
Klein Joshua Division of Field Crops Agriculture according to the Torah
Lers Amnon Dept. of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce
Molecular biologist ripening, senescence
Lecture Schedule
Mizrach Amos Agricultural Engineering Postharvest Engineering; Quality of fruit and vegetables
Partzelan Yaacob Dept. of Postharvest Chemist – coating materials of fresh and fresh cut products
Porat Ron Dept. of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce
Postharvest physiologist – chilling injury, citrus
Prusky Dov Dept. of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce
Postharvest physiologist – tropical and subtropical fruits
Rodov Victor Dept. of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce
Postharvest physiologist – fresh cut and light processing
Sachs Ofer Director of CINADCO MarketingSela Shlomo Dept. of Postharvest Science of
Fresh ProduceFood microbiologist
Lecture Schedule
It is estimated that about one-third of the fresh produce harvested worldwide is lost at some point between harvest and consumption
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the annual world production of fruits and vegetables is about ~ 1,500,000,000 tons.
That means an average loss of ~ 500,000,000 tons of produce each year!
The main goal of postharvest research is to slow these changes as much as necessary.
The aim of this lecture is to provide the basic biological information needed to understand why fruits and vegetables deteriorate after harvest, and then to learn how to apply appropriate postharvest operation techniques in order to maintain quality and reduce losses.
First, a few basic principles1. Fresh fruits and vegetables are living tissues that are subject to
continuous changes after harvest! Some of these changes are desirable, but most are not wanted.
2. After harvest – fruits are detached from the mother plant and do not ‘enjoy’ anymore from continuous supply of water and nutrients. Therefore, after harvest, fruits depend on their own carbon and water reserves and become perishable – they loose water and dry matter!
Biological factors involved in deterioration
Respiration Ethylene production Compositional changes Water loss Physical damage Physiological breakdown Pathological breakdown
RespirationRespiration is the process by which stored organic materials
(carbohydrates, proteins, fats) are broken down into simple end products with a release of energy
C6H12O6 + 6 O2 → 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + 686 kcal heat
It results in loss of food reserves, loss of flavor, especially sweetness, loss of salable dry weight, and release of heat that increases the costs of refrigeration, and release of CO2 thus, requiring extensive ventilation
Respiration involves degradation of food reserves, especially sugars, in order to produce chemical energy (in the form of ATP and NADH) needed to maintain cellular metabolic activity
Respiration
In general, the rate of deterioration of harvested commodities is proportional to their respiration rate:
Commodities with high respiration rates will have short potential storage livesCommodities with low respiration rates will have long potential storage lives
Respiration
According to their respiration behavior during maturation and ripening, fruits are classified to either climacteric or non-climacteric
Climacteric fruits – show a large increase in respiration and ethylene production during ripening.Non-climacteric fruits – show no change with low respiration and ethylene production rates during ripening.
Ethylene Ethylene (C2H4) is a simple gaseous organic molecule As a plant hormone, it is involved in regulation of
growth, ripening, senescence and abscission processes Ethylene is naturally synthesized in plants, but also
evolves from engines and fires It is biologically active at very low concentrations in the
range of ppm levels
Ethylene Biosynthesis Pathway
ACS and ACO are the key regulatory enzymes in ethylene biosynthesis
ACC synthase
ACC oxidase
SAM synthase
MethylationPolyaminesynthesis
Autocatalytic Production of EthyleneIn climacteric fruit, the natural increase in ethylene production during ripening stimulates its own synthesis – a phenomenon called “autocatalytic production of ethylene”
In some climacteric fruits, such as avocado, banana, melons, pears and tomatoes, the autocatalytic positive feedback may increase ethylene production rates by 1,000 x fold during ripening
Exposure to external ethylene also enhances autocatalytic production of ethylene and ripening!
Regulation of Ethylene BiosynthesisGenerally, ethylene production increases: With maturity at harvest After physical damage (dropping, wounding) In decayed fruit At increasing temperatures up to 30C During stresses (water stress, chilling, etc.) On the other hand, ethylene is reduced by: Low storage temperatures Reduced O2 levels (below 8%) Elevated CO2 levels (above 2%)
Atmospheric EthyleneBeside its own biosynthesis, harvested produce may be exposed to
atmospheric ethylene Sources for atmospheric ethylene include exhaust from trucks and forklifts, pollution from
industrial activity and burning of fuels, fires, and from nearby ripening climacteric fruit
Beneficial Uses of Ethylene in Postharvest
Commercial postharvest applications of ethylene are used to:1. Promote full and uniform ripening of bananas, avocado, mango and green-
harvested tomatoes2. Promote color change (degreening) in citrus fruit
Optimal Conditions to Promote Ripening
Considerations to achieve uniform ripening:Temperature between 18-25C RH about 90-95% Ethylene concentration between 1-100 ppm Duration of treatment between 1-5 days Adequate air circulation in ripening room Ventilation and air exchange to prevent excess accumulation of CO2
Sources of EthyleneEthylene could be applied to ripening rooms from:Industrial gas cylinders (including explosive-proof ethylene mixtures in inert gases without presence of oxygen) Ethylene generators (produce ethylene from dehydration of ethanol by heating)
C2H5OH – H20 C2H4 Ethylene releasing agents (‘Ethephon’)Use of ripen fruit
* It should be cautious that mixtures of ethylene gas in air may be explosive at concentrations of 3.1-32%!
Undesirable Effects of EthyleneAs the main ‘ripening’ and ‘senescence’ hormone, ethylene has detrimental effects on postharvest storage and quality:Accelerates leaf senescenceAccelerates ripening and fruit softeningAccelerates flower wiltingAccelerates abscissionStimulates sprouting of tomatoCauses leaf and peel disorders
Preventing the Deteriorative Effects of EthyleneMeasures to reduce ethylene effects: 1. Eliminate the sources of ethylene: Do not hold stocks of ripen fruit near ethylene sensitive commoditiesUse electric powered forkliftsThe truck loading area should be isolated from handling and storage areas.Remove decayed pellets of fruitDo not smoke or burn fires in the packinghouse area
Preventing the Deteriorative Effects of Ethylene2. Ventilation: Harvested produce synthesize ethylene. Therefore, simple ventilation (using an intake fan and a passive exhaust) can effectively remove excess ethylene3. Ethylene absorbers: Ethylene may be absorbed from storage rooms by using chemical scavengers, such as potassium permanganate and charcoal4. Inhibition of ethylene action: Use of 1-MCP. 1-MCP was developed 10 years ago, and is a very effective inhibitor of ethylene. It is now being licensed for use in fruit and vegetables.
Commercial products of 1-MCP
EthyBlock® – for use with ornamentalsSmartFresh® – for use with fruit and vegetables
Compositional ChangesCompositional changes that occur during ripening and continue after harvest: Changes in pigments:Loss of chlorophyll (green color) – is desirable in fruit but not in vegetables.Development of carotenoids (yellow and orange colors) – desirable in various fruits, such as apricots, peaches, citrus, tomatoes, etc.Development of anthocyanins (red and blue colors) - desirable in various fruits, such as cherries, strawberries, etc.
Water LossWater loss is a main cause of deterioration because it results in:Direct loss of salable weightLoss in appearance (wilting and shriveling)Loss of textural quality (softening, crispness)
Small fruit have large surface-to-volume ratios, and especially suffer from water loss!
Ways to reduce water loss after harvestLow temperatures High RH Prevent surface injuries Application of waxes or other coatings Wrapping with plastic films
Physical DamagePhysical damage (surface injuries, bruising, vibration damage) is a main contributor to deterioration The damaged areas becomeBrown (because leakage of phenolic compounds),Accelerate water loss, Stimulate ethylene production, and Provide sites for pathogen invasion
Physiological BreakdownPhysiological disorders may develop following storage under undesirable conditions or as a result of improper pre-harvest management leading to ‘weak’ fruit with nutritional imbalances.
Chilling injuries Freezing injuries Heat damage Low humidity Low O2 injuries High CO2 injuries
Physiological disorders caused by improper storage conditions
Chilling InjuriesTropical and subtropical fruits are sensitive to low non-freezing temperatures below 15CThe most common symptoms of chilling injuries includeSurface and internal browningPittingWater soaked areasUneven ripening or failure to ripen Development of off flavorsIncreased decay incidence
Freezing Injury Storing produce below their freezing point causes immediate collapse of the tissue and complete loss
Heat Injury Caused by exposure to direct sun light or excessively high temperatures. The symptoms include bleaching, surface burning, uneven ripening and softening.
Low humidity (desiccation)Storage under low humidity conditions may enhance disorders related to desiccation and senescence
Nutritional ImbalanceCertain disorders may develop after harvest because of nutritional deficiencies. E.g. bitter pit and water core symptoms in apples are related to deficiency in calcium
Pathological Breakdown One of the most obvious symptoms of deterioration is
growth of pathogens Healthy fruit are mostly resistant to pathogens, but
senesced and damaged fruit become susceptible to infection
Infection by pathogens became a very serious problem in postharvest handling in recent years, since health authorities consistently reduced the permitted residue limits (MRL’s) for chemical fungicides
Summary- Postharvest Physiology Changes
Respiration Ethylene production Compositional changes Water loss Physical damage Physiological breakdown Pathological breakdown
RESPONSE OF STORAGE TEMPERATURE AND PACKAGING ON
POSTHARVEST LIFE OF SWEET PEPPER (Capsicum annum L.) CV.
DINAMO
Participants
Dr. Parshant BakshiCo-ordinator
Ms. Loan Nguyen Ms. Lily Chebet Kiptoo
Ms. Gordana BudanovicMs. Natalia Portilla Araya Mr. Lorentso Lemonjava
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of storage temperatures and packaging on weight loss, firmness, CO2 and O2 concentrations, TSS and taste of yellow pepper cv. Dinamo
Weight Loss (7°C and 20°C) 7°C was a better temperature to prevent weight loss Both simple and perforated polyethylene prevented better weight loss
% w
eigh
t los
s
Firmness (7°C and 20°C)At 7°C and 20°C, firmness of the pepper reduce after 14 days of storage
Firm
ness
(mm
)
CO2 LevelFigure 3. Effect of storage temperature and packing material on CO2 (%) of sweet pepper cv. Dinamo
CO
2 (%
)
Total Soluble Solids (TSS)
Polyethylene was the material that prevents an increase of the TSS on both temperatures
7°C
20°C
Figure 4. Effect of storage temperature and packaging on TSS of sweet pepper cv. Dinamo at 70C and 200C
T.S
.S (0
B)
Conclusions It is thus concluded that Temperature was the
major factor in determining the post-harvest performance of yellow pepper
The storage of pepper at 7 °C and packaging produced to be the best for extending its postharvest life
The packaging materials studied here are not proved to be beneficial for pepper
Salient Findings Water is applied directly to the root zone of the plants The unbagged fruits stored at 20 0C showed maximum shrivelling Fungal attack was seen in polyethylene bags with perforations at 20 0C The fruits stored in polyethylene bags at 20 0C showed CO2 injury The fruits stored at 20 0C in polyethylene bags without perforation
showed orange colour, whereas those stored in perforated bags didn't show any colour change (i.e. they are yellow after 2 weeks)
The unbagged fruits stored at 7 0C are crispy with sweet taste, while those stored at 20 0C are bitter in taste without crispness. It was also found that the fruits stored in bags at 7 0C are less sweet than those without bag under same temperature
Drip Irrigation: A Modern Method
Water is applied directly to the root zone of the plants Water is applied at frequent intervals at precise quantities based
on Crop Water Requirements Water is applied through a low-pressure pipe network comprising
Mains, Sub-mains, Laterals and Emitting DevicesFruit CropsAlmond, Apple, Arecanut, Indian Gooseberry, Ber (Zizyphus),
Banana, Cashew, Custard Apple, Cherry, Fig, Guava, Grape, Litchi, Lemon, Sweet Lime, Mango, Orange, Olive, Papaya, Pomegranate, Pear, Peach, Pistachio, Pineapple, Sapota, Strawberry, Jack Fruit
List of Courses for 2013
S.No Title Date1. Postharvest physiology of fresh
produceFebruary 2013
2. Integrated Pest Management April, 20133. Food Security & Grain storage June, 20134. Vegetable production in Greenhouses October, 20135. Animal Transboundary & Emerging
DiseasesDecember, 2013
List of courses for 2013 is as below. The exact dates can be scanned by the volcani web site ( www.agri.gov.il ) to see the publication and information about the courses
No one can apply to the courses until its published
Future Strategies Regulation of fruit color and aroma Controlled atmosphere (CA) storage of fruits Impact of pre-harvest and postharvest factors on shelf life and
postharvest quality of fruits Non destructive measuring of quality and maturity Environmental friendly packaging using nanotechnology Consumer and traders quality preferences in each country Cost and return of the investment of post harvest technologies Postharvest Physiology of horticultural produce Ethylene management during ripening and storage of fruits
Future Strategies Application of conventional and biotechnological processes to the
development of improved varieties having high production potential with high quality attributes and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses;
Research into mechanization of the processing of unexploited indigenous as well as exotic crop species;
Diversified and economic methods of utilizing fruits and vegetables and processing of their wastes; studies on biodegradable and zero oxygen permeability packaging materials;
Technological improvement of the minimal processing of fresh produce
Acknowledgements Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, Registrar and Authority of
SKUAST-Jammu for sanctioning my deputation and allowing me to attend this International R&D Course on Postharvest Physiology, Pathology and Handling of fresh Commodities
MASHAV, ARO and CINADCO for selecting my candidature to attend this course and all the support during my stay in Israel