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Postharvest Handling to Improve the Quality and Shelf-Life of Fruit...
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Postharvest Handling to Improve the Quality and Shelf-Life of Fruit and Vegetables

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Product Quality and Safety".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2023) | Viewed by 3308

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jarosław Pobereżny

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Guest Editor
Department of Microbiology and Food Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology in Bydgoszcz, St. Kaliskiego 7, 85-796 Bydgoszcz, Poland
Interests: quality; cultivation technology; cultivars; storage technology; quality; nutritional value; pro-health value; bioactive compounds; vegetables; fruits; potato; processing; preservation; fermented products
Prof. Dr. Elżbieta Wszelaczyńska

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Guest Editor
Department of Microbiology and Food Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, Kaliskiego 7 St., 85-796 Bydgoszcz, Poland
Interests: quality; cultivation technology; cultivars; storage technology; quality; nutritional value; pro-health value; bioactive compounds; anti-nutritional compounds; vegetables; fruits; potato; environmental
Dr. Anna Nogalska

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Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 8 St., 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Interests: quality; environmental protection; fertilizers in plant cultivation; sustainable agriculture; plant nutrition; soil science; nutritional value

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent times, safe high-quality food has become increasingly appreciated and sought after as part of a healthy lifestyle that is widely preferred. In such a diet, fresh fruits and vegetables, which have a limited shelf life and perishability, should be dominant, so the conditions of their harvest and storage are of great importance. In order to ensure year-round access to fruits and vegetables, it is necessary to store them in properly selected conditions. Obtaining high quality fruits and vegetables can be achieved by acting on many levels, but primarily by introducing new technologies in cultivation and during storage. At the production stage, it is very important to apply good agricultural, production and hygienic practices as well as integrated protection of fruit and vegetables. The quality and safety of fresh fruits and vegetables can be improved by implementing innovative systems and existing standards. Vegetables and fruits are subject to packaging, so it is important to follow procedures for cleaning fresh products immediately after harvesting, maintaining hygienic conditions during harvesting, storage and packaging, and continuous quality monitoring. In addition, technological advances make it possible to make changes during the harvesting period. All these factors must be considered in the context of the environment in which the plants are grown.

Dr. Jarosław Pobereżny
Prof. Dr. Elżbieta Wszelaczyńska
Dr. Anna Nogalska
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • quality
  • cultivar
  • fruit
  • vegetable
  • cultivation technology
  • storage
  • conditions
  • safety and health
  • natural losses
  • environment
  • harvest date

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 2212 KiB  
Article
The Combined Effect of Lemon Peel Extract and Calcium Chloride on the Physical and Biochemical Quality Parameters of the Dessert Banana (Musa acuminata var. Dwarf Cavendish) Fruit
by Eric-Ivan Ngoko Tchamba, Thorsten Tybussek, Peter Muranyi, Victor Francois Nguetsop, Jean Aghofack-Nguemezi and Wilfried Schwab
Agriculture 2024, 14(2), 222; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14020222 - 30 Jan 2024
Viewed by 843
Abstract
The dessert banana is a popular fruit worldwide, but its ripening process is greatly accelerated by high temperatures, which eventually leads to an unpleasant taste and the appearance of spots on the skin of the fruits. To slow down the ripening of bananas, [...] Read more.
The dessert banana is a popular fruit worldwide, but its ripening process is greatly accelerated by high temperatures, which eventually leads to an unpleasant taste and the appearance of spots on the skin of the fruits. To slow down the ripening of bananas, expensive strategies are used, which are usually not practical for conventional farmers in less developed countries. In this study, we try to find a less costly alternative. Therefore, the effects of coatings of lemon peel extract (2.5%, 5%, and 10%), calcium chloride (4%), and glycerol (2%) on the shelf life and postharvest quality of the banana fruit (Cavendish) stored at 19–22 °C and 40–60% relative humidity were investigated. Treatment with a mixture of 2.5% lemon peel extract and 2% glycerol resulted in an extension of the shelf life of the dessert banana by up to 6 days and no detectable fungal infestation. The coating solution is an effective alternative to extend the shelf life and reduce quality losses in bananas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postharvest Handling to Improve the Quality and Shelf-Life of Fruit and Vegetables)
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16 pages, 2491 KiB  
Article
Nutritional Value of Parsley Roots Depending on Nitrogen and Magnesium Fertilization
by Elżbieta Wszelaczyńska, Jarosław Pobereżny, Katarzyna Gościnna, Katarzyna Retmańska and Wojciech Jan Kozera
Agriculture 2024, 14(1), 143; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14010143 - 18 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1016
Abstract
Parsley is an herb/vegetable rich in nutritional compounds such as carbohydrates, vitamins, protein, crude fiber, minerals (especially potassium), phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, iron, and essential oils. Limited information is available in the literature on the quality of parsley roots depending on the cultivation technology [...] Read more.
Parsley is an herb/vegetable rich in nutritional compounds such as carbohydrates, vitamins, protein, crude fiber, minerals (especially potassium), phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, iron, and essential oils. Limited information is available in the literature on the quality of parsley roots depending on the cultivation technology used in the form of macronutrients and micronutrients, preparations to stimulate plant growth and development, as well as plant-protection products. A three-year study was undertaken to determine the effect of applying mineral fertilization with nitrogen, including magnesium on the nutritional value of parsley roots in terms of the content of ascorbic acid, total and reducing sugars, and minerals: (total N, K, Mg, Ca). The research material was the root of Petroselinum crispum ssp. tuberosum from an experiment where nitrogen was applied in soil at (0, 40, 80, 120 kg N ha−1) and magnesium at (0, 30 kg MgO ha−1). Nitrogen fertilization increased the nutritional value in terms of total and reducing sugars, as well as total N and Ca content. Applied magnesium fertilization caused a significant increase in the content of all tested nutrients. The most total sugars (127.7 g kg−1 f. m.), reducing sugars (16.8 g kg−1 f. m.), and total N (12.13 g kg−1 d. m.) were accumulated by roots from the object where nitrogen was applied at a maximum rate of 120 kg N ha−1, including magnesium. On the other hand, for the content of K (19.09 g kg−1 d. m.) in the roots, a dose of 80 N ha−1 was sufficient. For ascorbic acid (263.2 g kg−1 f. m.) and Ca (0.461 g kg−1 d. m.), a dose of 40 kg N ha−1 with a constant fertilization of 30 kg MgO ha−1 was sufficient. When applying high doses of nitrogen, lower doses of magnesium are recommended. This is sufficient due to the high nutritional value of parsley roots. Due to the worsening magnesium deficiency in soils in recent years, the use of this nutrient in the cultivation of root vegetables is as justified and timely as possible. Quality-assessment studies of root vegetables should be continued with higher amounts of magnesium fertilization. Different ways of applying magnesium in parsley cultivation should also be tested. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postharvest Handling to Improve the Quality and Shelf-Life of Fruit and Vegetables)
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15 pages, 1892 KiB  
Article
Influence of Magnesium and Biostimulant on the Consumption Value and Harmful Nitrogen Compounds Content of Potato Tubers after Storage
by Jarosław Pobereżny, Katarzyna Retmańska, Elżbieta Wszelaczyńska and Anna Nogalska
Agriculture 2023, 13(11), 2052; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13112052 - 26 Oct 2023
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Abstract
The primary use of the potato is direct consumption. The classification of potatoes into consumption type is made on the basis of the consumption evaluation of hydrothermally treated tubers. Nutrient deficiency in the soil, including Mg, contributes to the inhibition of potato growth [...] Read more.
The primary use of the potato is direct consumption. The classification of potatoes into consumption type is made on the basis of the consumption evaluation of hydrothermally treated tubers. Nutrient deficiency in the soil, including Mg, contributes to the inhibition of potato growth and development and negatively affects the cooking characteristics of the tubers. Magnesium and biostimulants are responsible for plant nitrogen management. Thus, it is necessary to control the content of harmful nitrates and toxic nitrites in tubers. In potato production, it is also important to maintain appropriate conditions during storage. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of mineral fertilization with magnesium and a biostimulant preparation during the cultivation of edible potato and long-term storage on the traits determining utility-consumption type and the content of harmful nitrogen compounds in tubers. The study was conducted using the early potato variety Satina. In a three-year (2015–2017) three-factor experiment: evaluation date (immediately after harvest and after six months of storage), soil fertilization with mineral magnesium (0, 30, 60, 90 kg MgO ha−1), the application of an amino acid biostimulant (0, 1.5, 3.0 L ha−1). Five consumption traits of tubers after cooking, determining the utility-consumption type of potato, were determined. In addition, the consumer safety of the potato was determined based on the nitrate and nitrite content of the tubers. The tendency to overcook tubers significantly depended on all the factors used during potato cultivation. In contrast, the texture and structure of tuber flesh after cooking depended only on mineral fertilization with magnesium. The flesh of the tubers after cooking was most tender (1.0 pt) and firm (1.4 pt) after the application of 60 and 90 kg MgO ha−1, respectively. The moisture level of the flesh after cooking was significantly influenced by the interaction of magnesium fertilization with the biostimulant preparation. The factors of the experiment did not modify the utility-consumption type (B/A), while there was a change in the type in relation to that specified by the grower—general utility (B). The applied cultivation technology and long-term storage did not deteriorate the consumer safety of tubers (<200 mg kg−1) in terms of NO3− (max. 112.1 mg kg−1) and NO2− (max. 1.08 mg kg−1) contents. Organoleptic traits: mealiness, moisture, and flesh structure were significantly positively related to the nitrate and nitrite content of tubers immediately after harvesting and to nitrite concentration after long-term storage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postharvest Handling to Improve the Quality and Shelf-Life of Fruit and Vegetables)
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