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Recent Advances in Post Harvest Handling of Horticultural Crops

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 Commercial Horticulture, pp 371-389
© 2016, Editors, N.L. Patel, S.L. Chawla and T.R. Ahlawat
New India Publishing Agency, New Delhi, India

28
Recent Advances in Post Harvest Handling
of Horticultural Crops
Dev Raj, A.K. Senapati and N.L. Patel
Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari (Gujarat)

Introduction
The major land mark in the primary food production is the Green revolution during
sixties, eventually leading the country to self-sufficiency in food grains. At present,
agriculture and allied sector contributes 22% of GDP in India. Total arable area in India
is 184 million hectares contributing a total food grain production of 210.01 million tonnes.
Horticultural crops including fruits, vegetables, flowers, plantation crops, spices and
medicinal and aromatic plants have emerged as a major economic activity in India.
Horticulture crops cover over 20.7 million hectares of area, which is approximately
11.25% of the total gross cropped area of the country and contributes 18-20% of the
gross value of India’s agricultural output. India is the world’s second largest fruit and
vegetable producing country accounting for 81.29 million tonnes of fruit and 162.2 million
tonnes of vegetables (Annon., 2013). Besides, about 25.66 million tonnes of loose flowers,
spices, plantation crops, mushroom and aromatic plants are also produced. The country
produces 41% of world mangoes, 23% banana, 24% cashew nut, 36% green peas, 10%
onion and 30% cauliflower and accounts for 12% of world fruit and 13% of vegetable
production (Annon., 2009). Owing to wide diversity of agro-climatic conditions, almost
all types of temperate (apple, peach, plum, apricot, cherries and nuts), subtropical (mango,
guava, papaya, etc), tropical (banana, pineapple, etc), arid fruits (ber and aonla), plantation
crops (coconut, cashewnut and arecanut) and diverse variety of vegetables are grown
in India. The status of horticultural crop production in India is presented in Table 1.
372 Commercial Horticulture

Table 1: Status of horticultural crops production in India

Status Horticultural crops Position

India
Area 23.6 million hectares
Fruits 6.9 million hectares
Vegetables 9.2 million hectares
Others 7.5 million hectares
Production
Fruits 81.29 million tones
Vegetables 162.2 million tones
Flowers, Spices and Plantation and Aromatic 25.66 million tones

Source: 1. NHB, 2013.

Post harvest loss

Fruits and vegetables are highly perishable and have very short shelf-life. During different
handling and marketing operations, there is huge post harvest loss of agriculture produce.
Both qualitative and quantitative losses occur in horticultural commodities between harvest
and consumption. Qualitative losses like loss in edibility, nutritional quality, calorific value
and consumer acceptability of fresh produce are much more difficult to assess than are
quantitative losses. Quantitative post-harvest losses in India estimated by different
committees ranged between 25-33% depending upon the crop. The major cause of post
harvest loss is availability of poor infrastructure for post harvest management (PHM)
and processing of commodities. These losses can only be minimized by proper handling,
marketing and processing of the agricultural commodities. According to national level
study conducted under AICRP on PHT, ICAR (unpublished), the post-harvest losses
during different farm handling operations like harvesting, sorting, grading and packing
accounts for about 13%, during farm storage about 6% and during storage at godown,
wholesale and retail level about 12% of the produce goes waste. Thus on an average,
about one third of horticulture produce never reaches the ultimate consumer. This results
in a considerable gap between gross food production and net availability. Insufficient
knowledge of pre and post-harvest operations and lack of proper facilities for handling
like pre-cooling, grading, packaging, transport, storage, processing and marketing
alltogether compound the post-harvest losses and wastage which in value terms accounts
for more than Rs 50,000 crores. The status of post harvest losses in India is presented
in Table 2 to Table 3.
 Recent Advances in Post Harvest Handling of Horticultural Crops 373

Table 2: Status of post harvest losses (India)

Name of fruits/vegetables Post harvest losses (% of production)

Banana 12-14
Mango 17-37
Citrus (orange) 8-31
Guava 3-15
Apple 10-25
Pineapple 5-20
Grapes 23-30
Beans and peas 7-12
Brinjal 10-13
Cabbage 7-15
Cauliflower 10-15
Garlic 1-3
Onion 15-30
Potato 15-20
Tomato 10-20

Source: 1. NHB, 2011.

Table 3: Status of post harvest losses (%) at various stages

Crops Harvesting Grading Transport Marketing/ Retailer Total loss

storage (%)
wholesaler

Orange 3.25 0.75 1.25 1.20 7.50 13.95

Pineapple 1.73 0.54 1.95 2.66 2.37 9.25
Banana Nil Nil 10.00 5.00 7.00 22.00
Ginger 1.5 2.25 1.50 2.75 2.50 10.50
Tomato 0.75 3.75 11.00 2.50 7.25 10.50
Cauliflower Nil 2.75 7.50 1.75 3.75 15.75
Spine Gourd Nil 8.30 4.30 1.80 2.70 17.10
Pointed Gourd Nil 5.40 7.50 1.90 2.10 16.90

Source: 1. NHB, 2011.

Table 4: Cumulative post harvest losses of horticultural crops

Operation Position

Post harvest (cummulative) 25-33%

Handling 13%
Farm storage 6%
Retailer/godown/wholesaler 12%

Source: 1. Anon.( 2008).

374 Commercial Horticulture

Post Harvest Management (PHM)

Fruits and vegetables are characterized as the protective foods as they provide essential
vitamins, minerals, dietary fibres, antioxidants and bioflavanoids. Accordingly, increased
consumption of a variety of fruits and vegetables on daily basis is recommended for
health benefits like reduced risk of certain form of cancers, coronary heart diseases,
stroke and other chronic ailments. Although, country is a major producer of these crops,
many Indians are still unable to get their daily requirements of fruits and vegetables as
per the recommended daily allowance of 280-350g fruits and vegetables per capita per
day (Swaminathan, 1993). The main objectives of postharvest management and
processing fruits and vegetables are i) to maintain quality (appearance, texture, flavor
and nutritive value) ii) to protect food safety, and iii) to reduce losses between harvest
and consumption. There are many interacting steps involved in any postharvest system.
Produce after harvest is often handled by many different people, pretreated, pre-cooled,
transported and stored repeatedly between harvest and consumption. Different post
harvest operations takes place for management of horticultural crops are as under:
• Cleaning & sorting
• Washing & air drying
• Grading
• Pre cooling
• Packaging
• Ripening
• Storage
• Transportation
• Market distribution.
Cold storage of the horticultural crops can play an important role in minimization of the
post harvest losses. The existing infrastructure available for storage of the horticultural
commodity can store about more than 9-10% of the annual production. There are about
5101 cold storages in the country which can handle only about 21.7 million tonnes of the
produce (Annon., 2006). The export of fresh fruit and vegetables from India in 2006-07
was estimated at 9.84 Lakh tonnes valued at Rs 2411.70 crores (Table 5). The numbers
of cold storage units in different states of India is presented in Table 6.
 Recent Advances in Post Harvest Handling of Horticultural Crops 375

Table 5: Status of storage and export of horticultural crops

Status Position

Cold Store units 5101

Storage Capacity 21.7 million tones
Export of fresh fruits/vegetables 9.84 Lakh tones
Value2 Rs. 2411.7 Crores

Source: 1. DMI, 2006; 2. NHB, 2011.

Table 6: Status of numbers of cold storage units in different states of India

Sr. No States Cold storage units Sr. No States Cold storage units

1 Andhra Pradesh 215 11 Maharashtra 123

2 Bihar 272 12 Meghalaya 1
3 Chhattisgarh 1 13 Orissa 60
4 Delhi 4 14 Punjab 245
5 Gujarat 190 15 Rajasthan 91
6 Haryana 168 16 Sikkim 1
7 Jammu & Kashmir 8 17 Tamil Nadu 40
8 Jharkhand 27 18 Uttar Pradesh 922
9 Karnataka 143 19 Uttrakhand 4
10 Madhya Pradesh 96 20 West Bengal 405

Source: NHB, 2011

Horticultural Crop Processing

The food processing industry ranks fifth in size in the country and employs 16 lakh
workers which is 19% of the country’s industrial labour. It accounts for 14% of the total
industrial output with 18% of industrial GDP and 6.3% of countries GDP. So, food
processing plays a vital role in India’s prosperity. The Food Processing Industry sector
in India is one of the largest sector in terms of production, consumption, export and
growth prospects. Food processing industry broadly comprises primary processing
category and the other categories embracing the secondary, tertiary and further stages
of downstream processing.
In India, majority of the produce is sent to the market for fresh trade and whatever is
left as marketable surplus in the form of small and pittoo size, non-uniform and cull is
utilized for processing for conversion into value added products. The processing capacity
in our country from more than 6600 FPO licensed units is about 3.85 million tonnes
which is less than 2.4% of total fruit and vegetable production against 60-70% in many
horticulturally advanced countries. Further, the actual production of processed products
stood at only 1.33 million tones with a less than 35% capacity utilization of the installed
processing units. There are 70% units in home/cottage/ small scale sector and 30%
units in large scale sector with capacity of 250 tonnes per annum and 30 tonnes/hr,
376 Commercial Horticulture

respectively. Large scale contributes 70% of the production. Despite such a huge
production of horticultural commodities there is only <2.4% processing and India’s share
in the world trade is around 1%. However, processing in advanced countries is too high
as compared to India. Status of processing in India is presented in Table 10 and Fig 1.
The per cent share of major food products in the markets is illustrated through Fig. 2.
India is the land of spices producing all varieties worth Rs. 3500 crores amounting to
25-30% of world production, which is processed for value addition and export. Tea,
coffee, cashew, cocoa, sugarcane etc. are the major plantation crops in the country.
India’s principal crops accounted for 5-6% of the India’s total export earnings. India is
the world’s largest producer of the tea. India is the largest producer (31% of world
production), processor and exporter of the cashew kernels (48% of the world export).
Consumer food comprises of group of products like chocolates, confectionery, cocoa
products, soya based products, RTE foods, mineral waters, soft drinks etc. Among
these, soft drinks enjoy the biggest share. Confectionery output is growing at the rate of
6-7 % and chocolate production at the rate of 10-15%. Mango, grapes, apple, onion,
potato, green vegetables like okra, bitter gourd and green chillies were the major items
of export. Similarly, India exported 9.53 Lakh tonnes of processed foods comprising of
mango pulp, juices, concentrates, dried and processed vegetables, pickle and chutney,
alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages worth Rs 2,757.74 crores (Annon,, 2007) (Table
7 and 8).
Table 7. Status of post harvest management and processing

Status Position

Fruits and vegetables Processing <2.4%

Export of Processed Products 9.53 Lakh tones
Value Rs. 2757.74 Crores
Processing capacity 3.85 million tones
Actual Production 1.33 million tones
Capacity utilization Less than 35%

Table 8: Production of processed products in India

S.No. Products Production (,000 tones)

1. Mango pulp 737.10

2. Fruit juice 293.83
3. Fruit nectars 125.70
4. Dried fruits 84.8
5. Preserves and candies 73.7
6. Fruit Powder (flour) 15.4
7. Mixed fruit pulps 3.3
8. Juice concentrate 0.5

Total 1334.3
Source: FAO, 2009
 Recent Advances in Post Harvest Handling of Horticultural Crops 377

Fig. 1: Status of fruits and vegetables processing in India

Fig. 2: Per cent share of major processed food products in the market

Table 9: India’s export of processed products

S.No. Item 2006-07

Quantity (000 MT) Value (Crore)

1. Dried and preserved vegetables 125.7 429.94

2. Mango Pulp 166.8 509.69
3. Pickle & Chutney 158.5 250.62
4. Alcoholic & Non-alcoholic beverages 59.6 338.56
5. Other processed fruits & vegetables 311.8 754.46
6. Miscellaneous prepared products 130.8 474.47
953.2 2757.74

Source: MOFPI, 2009.

378 Commercial Horticulture

Advances in Post harvest Handling

Keeping the huge post harvest losses in mind, there is an urgent need to reduce the post
harvest losses of fresh commodities and increase the level of processing as reduction in
post-harvest losses is a complementary mean of production. Improving post-harvest
management and processing infrastructure is generally less costly than bringing an
equivalent increase in production. It is also worth mentioning that unlike expenditure on
crop production as an annual requirement, the establishment of post-harvest facilities
involves only one time investment which is compensated by the annual savings from
post-harvest loss reduction. Further, small farm holdings and low paying capacity of
most small and marginal growers in the country is an important impediment for low
adoption of existing techniques of post-harvest management. The important strategies
for loss prevention includes development of varieties (genotypes) that have longer post-
harvest life, use of integrated crop management system and development of cost effective
adoptable technologies for post-harvest handling, value addition and by-product waste
utilization. The value chain in post-harvest management of horticultural crops mainly
comprise of pre-harvest factors, harvesting, market preparation (pre-cooling, sorting,
grading, packaging and on-farm storage), transportation, storage, value addition and by-
product waste management. The status of R&D carried out pertaining to PHM and
processing in the country by different ICAR institutes like CIPHET (Ludhiana) and
SAUs on different aspects of post-harvest management and processing of horticultural
crops is given ahead. Depending upon the status report, research scientists can find out
the gap /missing links in the available technology to suggest future priorities in the area
of R&D.
1. Varietal improvement: Good returns can only be obtained from a good quality
raw material and selection of varieties is most essential. In horticultural crops,
there is range of genetic variation in composition, quality and post-harvest life
potential. Success has been made in selection of carrot and tomato cultivars with
comparatively high carotenoid and vitamin A content: onion and tomato cultivars
with high TSS and longer shelf-life, potato cultivars with low sugars, watermelon
cultivars with higher sugar content and firmer flesh, spur type apple cultivars with
better colour and firmness, grape cultivar with high sugar content, ginger with
less fibre and pineapple cultivars with higher content of ascorbic acid, carotenoids
and sugars. Few cultivars of fruit and vegetable developed with specific attribute
within or outside the country need to be evaluated, introduced and commercialized.
2. Pre-harvest treatments: Pre-harvest treatments like cultural practices, nutrition,
irrigation and chemical sprays of fruit and vegetable in the field affect the post-
harvest shelf-life of the commodity. Chemical sprays as pre-harvest treatment
have been utilized to reduce the post-harvest losses in different fruits. Three
post-harvest sprays of 0.1 per cent carbendazim or thiophanate methyl have been
found effective in controlling post-harvest diseases of mango like anthracnose,
 Recent Advances in Post Harvest Handling of Horticultural Crops 379

stem end rot and black rot. Sprays of 2% calcium chloride dihydrate enhanced
shelf-life of mango, apple (0.5%), guava, peach and plum. Spraying of banana
bunches with 2% potassium sulphate at the time of last hand opening and second
spray after one month of first spray enhanced the yield of banana by 20% and
storage life by 2-3 days under ambient conditions (NRCB, Tritchy). Covering of
bunches with bunch sleeves (4-6% ventilation) also improved quality. Similarly,
field spray of 2,4-D (100-500 ppm) improved storage life of citrus fruits by delaying
abrasion and senescence of fruit (NRCC, Nagpur).
Sprays with benomyl (0.10% ) or Trichoderma, 20 and 2 days prior to harvest
and packing grapes with 2-3 g sulphur/5 kg bunch controlled post-harvest decay
and maintained freshness in cold storage (NRCC, Pune). Dipping of grape bunches
in calcium nitrate solution after pruning checked rotting (NRCG, Pune). In litchi
fruits, pre-harvest spray of KMnO4 (4%) delayed colour break stage by 5 days,
boric acid spray (1%) checked fruit cracking in litchi (NRC-L, Bihar).
Besides, chemical spray with thiophanate methyl (0.05%) to control post-harvest
losses in Dushaheri mango, pre-harvest spray of 10-15 ppm gibberillic acid (GA)
to enhance retention of mangoes on trees was effective to control maturity and
delay ripening. Sprays of either benomyl, Topsin-M or carbendazim (0.05%) at
15 days interval prior to harvest to control post-harvest losses in Nagpur Mandarin
have been recommended. Bagging of mango fruits one month prior to harvest
improves export quality. The use of maleic hydrazide (1500-2500 ppm) 2-4 weeks
before harvest for control of sprouting in onion during storage is effective (NRC
O&G, Nasik). Similarly, methyl eugenol traps for trapping fruit flies have been
developed (CISH, Lucknow). However, use of these pre-harvest treatments in
farmers fields need to be popularized.
3. Maturity indices: Maturity at harvest is the most important determinant of storage
life and final fruit quality. Fruit picked either pre-mature or too late, are more
susceptible to post-harvest physiological disorders and diseases than those picked
at proper stage of maturity. Maturity indices have been developed for mangoes
(Dushaheri, Chausa, Langra and Malika), guava, date palm, apple, aonla, Nagpur
mandarin, acid lime, sweet oranges, pomegranate, grapes, ber, litchi, capsicum
and stone fruits. Technique to determine maturity of mango on the tree (CIPHET)
and non-destructive method for maturity of Grand Naine banana (NRCB, Trichur)
need to be popularized. Many leafy vegetables and immature fruit vegetables like
cucumber, green beans, peas and okra attain optimum eating quality prior to
reaching maturity, but are often harvested late and consequently results in low
quality produce. The extent of adoption of available standards in different crops
is required to be monitored in the farmer’s field.
380 Commercial Horticulture

4. Method of harvesting: The methods of harvesting (manual or mechanical)

significantly affect the post-harvest quality of fruits and vegetables. Mechanical
injuries (bruising, surface abrasions and cuts) can accelerate loss of water and
vitamin C resulting in increased susceptibility to decay causing pathogens. Most
of fresh fruits and vegetables in India are harvested by hand. However, commodities
meant for processing like tomatoes and potatoes can be mechanically harvested.
Different fruits require different methods of harvesting. Mangos are manually
harvested with the use of bamboo poles to which a net is attached and are lowered
to the ground in a basket. Mechanical harvester developed for different fruits like
mango harvester with a capacity of 95 kg/h (IIHR, Bangalore), Bael fruit picking
platform (CISH), lime harvester having a capacity of 15-20 kg/h (IIHR, Bangalore),
strawberry harvester cum holding tool (CIPHET), sapota harvester with a capacity
of 50-100 kg/h (IIHR, Bangalore), semi-mechanized hydraulically operated oil
palm harvesting device (NRC-oil palm), ber and jamun fruit harvester along with
fruit saver device for harvesting of fruits (CIPHET), holds promise and need to
be refined for its popularization among the growers. Harvesters of different sizes
with respect to economic feasibility and affordability of farmers are required to
be developed in view of difficult hilly terrains in most of the fruit growing areas.
5. Post-harvest treatment: Significant amount of information is available on
application of post-harvest treatment to the fruits prior to packaging and storage.
Hot water treatment plant for mango (capacity 1 tonne/h) for control of anthracnose
and fruit fly need to be popularized among the growers. Other post-harvest
treatments include SO2 fumigation of litchi fruit followed by citric acid dip, surface
drying and packaging in CFB box for retention of peel colour (IARI, Delhi).
Method for degreening of citrus fruit (NRCC, Nagpur), postharvest treatment to
reduce ripening and method to delay yellowing in bitter gourd (IIHR, Bangalore)
and gamma radiation (60-90 Gy) of cured onions within one month of harvesting
to check sprouting during storage (NRC O& G, Nasik) also need to be refined for
commercial adoption in farmer fields. Suitability for commercial adoption of protocol
for vapour heat treatment, fumigation, bio-pesticide for control of fruit flies in
fruits like mango, papaya, etc need detailed investigations.
6. Market preparation
• Pre-cooling: Immediate cooling of the produce to its optimum storage temperature
for removal of field heat is the most effective and well established tool for extending
storage life of fresh horticultural perishables. It is now considered as the most
accepted treatment but rarely used in actual practice in India. Significant information
on method and equipment of pre-cooling of different fruits and vegetables is
lacking in our country. R&D on this aspect is needed with respect to medium of
pre-cooling (ice, water, vacuum, forced air and room temperature), methodology
and equipment along with economic feasibility. Few studies conducted on pre-
 Recent Advances in Post Harvest Handling of Horticultural Crops 381

cooling of mango, apple, banana, stone fruits need to be refined further for
commercial adoption. Suitability of packing the produce with crushed or flaked
ice to provide rapid cooling along with high RH or keeping produce under shade
and during nights also needs to be evaluated in the Indian context.
• Sorting/Grading: Mostly, manual grading of fruits on the basis of size is done in
India. Growers generally employ trained packers who also grade the fruit on the
basis of their experience. Few mechanical graders developed in the country like
expanding belt type grader (IIHR, Bangalore), mechanized sorting, washing, wax
coating and size grading unit for Nagpur mandarin, mosambi and kagzi lime (NRCC,
Nagpur), mechanical grader for black pepper (IISR, Calicut), raw cashew nut
(NRC Cashew, Puttur), onion grader having capacity of 1.5-2 tonne/h (NRCO &
G, Nashik), and spherical fruit grader (AICRP on PHT, Junagarh, AICRP on
PHT, Akola), mango fruit grader and sapota fruit grader (AICRP on PHT,
Kolhapur), potato (CPRI, Shimla) and tomato (CIPHET, Ludhiana) need to be
popularized among the farmers after taking into account their affordability.
Development of complete packaging line with size grader, desaping unit, hot water
treatment unit, washing, sponging, waxing, dehydration and grading unit by CISH,
Lucknow is a significant development.
• Ripening: A considerable volume of information exists on the physical and
chemical changes that occur during fruit ripening, particularly with respect to
polysaccharide hydrolysis and role of ethylene etc. Artificial ripening of banana
with 500 ppm etheral dip or spray and keeping at 18-20oC has been found to
impart uniform ripening in Cavendish group of banana (NRCB-Trichy). The
treatment appears to be good substitute to smoking or carbide treatment presently
practiced by many wholesalers in artificial ripening of mango and banana. Packing
of litchi fruits in brown paper bags has been shown to impart uniform ripening
without any spot and cracking in litchi fruits (NRCL-Bihar). Ethephon (150 ppm)
applied during colour break stage in combination with berry thinning is known to
improve ripening and juice quality in Perlette and Beauty Seedless grapes. Ripening
in sapota is hastened by the application of etheral, 2,3,5-TP and maleic hydrazide.
Though, few large scale enterprises use ripening chambers for uniform ripening
of banana yet such facilities are beyond the reach of small growers for which
concerted efforts are needed to develop practicable protocol to check the use of
banned chemicals like calcium carbide.
7. On-farm storage: On farm storage is required during gluts and in remote and
inaccessible areas in the country. Low cost evaporative cool chambers developed
at various research institutions like zero energy cool chamber (IARI, New Delhi
and CIPHET, Ludhiana), evaporately cooled structures for storage of perishables
(PDKV, Akola), house hold evaporative coolers by MPKV-Kolhapur need to be
popularized for commercial adoption.
382 Commercial Horticulture

8. Packaging: Packaging is an integral element in the marketing of fresh horticultural

produce as it provides an essential link between producer and consumer. Fruits
and vegetables are generally packed in the field without any pre-treatment. Some
are even transported without any packaging like tomatoes. Due to lack of proper
packaging systems, large volumes of in-edible portions of vegetables such as
cauliflower, peas etc are transported to whole sale markets from the field. Removal
of these in-edible portions prior to marketing would reduce both transportation
costs and environmental pollution. Traditional forms of packaging such as bamboo
baskets, wooden baskets and gunny bags for packing of many fruits and vegetables
like citrus, mango, cull apples, beans, peas, onion, garlic, okra, potato, etc. are still
widely used. However, corrugated fibre board boxes are also used for packing
apples, oranges, grapes, stone fruits, sapota etc. to reduce load on the forests.
Packing boxes recommended for packing of different fruits include telescopic
CFB boxes of 2kg and 4kg capacity with 0.5%ventilation for mangoes (CISH,
Luckhnow), Nagpur mandarin and musambi, orange in permeable films for
commercial adoption (NRCC-Nagpur) and large capacity (300 tonne/day) packing
house for citrus (NRCC, Nagpur), individual shrink wrapping of pomegranate
along with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) of pomegranate and papaya
for long term storage at low temperature (IIHR, Bangalore), packaging of cut-
flower like jasmine and chrysanthemum for extension of vase life (IIHR,
Bangalore), lino bags and consumer pack (1-5 kg) for packing of onion (NRC
O&G, Nasik) and packaging of apple and stone fruits in CFB boxes (Solan). The
developed protocols need to be fine tuned for its successful transfer to the farmer’s
field.
9. Transportation: Almost all horticultural produce is transported in non-refrigerated
trucks and very little information is available on actual loss of produce during
transportation. Transportation in refrigerated vehicle is thus required for handling
of such sensitive produce. Temperature management during transportation of
fresh fruits and vegetables over long distances is critical. Loads need to be stacked
to enable proper air circulation, in order to felicitate the removal of heat from the
produce as well as to dissipate the incoming heat from the atmosphere and off
the road. Simple intervention like immediate transportation of produce after packing
and loading, movement during cool hours/during night, optimum stacking, provision
for aeration in the truck, cushioning to check vibrations, impact etc. need to be
worked out. Modifications in existing trucks like use of evaporative coolers can
also go in a long way to replace expensive system of refrigerated trucks in the
cool chain.
10. Storage: Storage losses of fruits and vegetables are high owing large variation in
temperature and humidity between places of growing to the place of distant
marketing. The lowest temperature that does not cause chilling injury is the idle
storage temperature for fresh fruits and vegetables. Optimum refrigerated storage
 Recent Advances in Post Harvest Handling of Horticultural Crops 383

requirement for different fruits have been worked out: 1.7-3.3oC for apples, 12.8oC
for banana, 0-1.7oC for grapes, 8.3-10 oC for guava, 8.3-10oC for mango,
5.5-7.2oC for oranges and 8.3-10oC for pineapple. When combined with low
temperature, controlled or modified atmospheres marketedly retards respiratory
activity and delays softening, senescence and changes in quality of stored product.
Significant volume of information has been generated on storage protocol of
different fruits and vegetables in the country. Brief detail of available information
includes: individual and bulk modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and individual
shrink wrapping of mango coupled with controlled atmosphere (CA) storage at
8oC for extension of shelf life with no chilling injury (IIHR, Bangalore), MAP of
Ney Poovan banana for storage at 8oC and CA storage of banana for long term
(75 days) storage (IIHR, Bangalore), hot water treatment with 500 ppm Bavistin
coupled with modified atmosphere storage in 400 gauge polybags for extension
of green life of Grande Naine banana up to 90 days at 13.5oC (NRCB, Trichy),
storage of Nagpur mandarin at 6-7oC and 90-95 % RH (NRCC, Nagpur), walk
in type evaporative cool chamber for mandarin, lime and sweet orange,
maintenance of reduced oxygen (7% and 12%) combined with increased CO2
(2% and 4%) for delaying colour development in citrus fruits (NRCG, Nagpur),
storage of ginger rhizomes in fresh form (Jorhat ), low temperature storage of
tomato, handling and storage methods of okra (IIHR, Bangalore), storage of
potato at 10oC after treatment with CIPC to check accumulation of reducing
sugars (CPRI, Shimla), zero energy cool chambers for storage of fresh ginger
(IISR, Calicut) and cold storage (0-2oC, 65-70% RH) of onion and improved
ventilated storage structures for onion (Director, O&G, Rajgurunagar). Further,
development and commercialization of low cost evaporative cold chamber for
fruits and vegetables by CIPHET, PDKV, Akola and household evaporative cooler
for fruits and vegetables (MPKV, Kolhapur) are the significant developments.
11. Primary processing: Simple primary processing operations like sorting, trimming,
grading, washing, surface drying and packaging need to be applied without involving
much expenditure. The available equipment and technologies for various unit
operations of primary processing include farm level fruit and vegetable washing
machine (PAU, Ludhiana), basket centrifuge, minimal processing technology of
vegetable, shrink packaging of fruit and vegetable and hydro cooler-cum-washer
for fruits and vegetables (CIPHET, Ludhiana), vegetable dryer (CIAE, Bhopal),
mechanical fruit washer (MPKV, Kolhapur), tamarind dehuller and deseeder (UAS,
Bangalore), pomegranate seed extractor (MPKV, Kolhapur) , cumin cleaner-
cum-grader (Junagarh), turmeric washing and polishing machine (PAU, Ludhiana)
and large scale chilli drying facility (ANGRAU, Baptala) etc.. However, there is
a need for integration and optimization of different unit operations into a value
chain like sorting, trimming, grading, washing, surface drying and packaging to
encourage farmers for its adoption.
384 Commercial Horticulture

12. Drying: Drying is the oldest and cheapest method of preservation of horticultural
produce. Significant information is available on the use of solar drier for drying of
fruits, vegetables, plantation crop produce, spices and medicinal and aromatic
plants. Different types of driers developed at various research institutes include:-
Solar cabinet drier for vegetables (CIAE, Bhopal), waste fired drier (PDKV,
Akola and Junagarh), solar tunnel dryer for plantation crops (CPCRI, Kasargod),
shell fired copra dryer and solar cum electrical cum biofuel drier (CPCRI,
Kasargod), cardamom dryer (UAS, Bangalore), multipurpose polyhouse solar
dryer for chilli (ANGRAU, Baptla), recirculatory solar drier for red chillies (MPKV,
Kolhapur), solar tunnel drier for onion, cauliflower, cabbage and methi (IARI),
recirculatory tray drier (IIT, Kharagpur); trolley drier for grains and vegetables
(PAU, Ludhiana) and polytunnel solar drier for fruits and vegetables (YSPUHF,
Solan). Efforts are however required to identify the manufacturer, entrepreneurs
for supply of these structures in different regions to popularize the technology
among the farmers.
Pre-treatments of fruits like peeling, slicing, blanching, sulphuring etc. along with
machineries for preparing fruit and vegetables for drying have also been
standardized for various crops. The available technologies include pretreatment
of litchies with KMS and CA prior to drying for litchi nuts (NRCL, Bihar),
technology for drying of pomegranate arils, manual and mechanical pomegranate
aril extractor (CIPHET, Ludhiana), garlic bulb breaker 50kg/hr capacity, motorized
garlic peeler with 1 tonne/hr capacity (IIHR, Bangalore), process for dehydration
of okra, pumpkin, French bean, ready to eat dehydrated carrot shreds (IIVR,
Varanasi), process for drying of flowers (IIHR, Bangalore), potato dehydration
(CPRI, Shimla), arecanut dehusker and drier, coconut testa remover, grating,
slicing and coconut chips making technology (CICRI, Kasargod), turmeric polisher
(IISR, Calicut), improved design of cashew nut sheller and process for raw cashew
nut drying for long storage (NRC Cashew, Puttur), process parameter for drying
of white button mushroom (YSPUHF, Solan), raw mango peeler (200 kg/h), slicer
(1 tonne/hr) and raw mango cube cutter (500 kg/h) by IIHR, Bangalore and
CISH; technology for dehydrated ripe mango slices and powder (IARI, New
Delhi); Zanziber variety for banana chips making and anti-oxidant protocol
(propylene glycol @ 1000 ppm and citric and @ 200 ppm) for storage of Nendran
chips (NRCB, Trichy), protocol for raisin making (NRCG, Pune), pedal operated
coconut dehusker (UAS, Bangalore), cassava rasper, cassava peeling knife, hand
operated and motorized cassava chiping machine (CTCRI, Trivandrum), garlic
peeling machine (MPUAT, Udaipur), hand operated potato peeler (GBPUAT,
Pantnagar), lotus seed decorticator (CIPHET), apricot drying protocol (SKUAST
Srinagar & YSPUHF, Solan) and parameter for wild pomegranate (Darhu) aril
drying (YSPUHF, Solan) are significant achievements. However, different
processes and equipments standardized at different places need to be integrated
 Recent Advances in Post Harvest Handling of Horticultural Crops 385

to develop a common protocol for each crop to enable its transfer to the actual
users.
13. Osmotic dehydration: Osmotic dehydration consisting of partial removal of water
by dipping in sugar syrup prior to washing in a mechanical dehydrator is now a
standard accepted practice for preparation of intermediate moisture products
with acceptable sensory qualities. Some fruits not otherwise fit for drying owing
to inherent high acid and astringent taste can also be utilized for drying using this
technique. The range of technologies optimized in various research institutes in
India include: osmo-dehydrated pine apple slices (IIHR, Bangalore and OUAT
Bhubaneshwar), technique for osmotic dehydration of mango slices (CISH,
Lucknow), banana slices (NRCB, Trichy), sapota, papaya (IIHR, Bangalore),
apricot and grapes (YSPUHF, Solan). However, no significant information is
available on utilization of large quantity of syrup left after osmotic treatment
which is the main hurdle for commercial adoption of this technology.
14. Processing of under-utilized fruits: Large quantity of lesser utilized horticultural
crops like, bael, aonla, jack fruit, aloe vera etc. are produced in our country and
cannot be consumed in fresh form without processing . They are known for many
therapeutic/medicinal and nutritive properties. Processing of such crops can play
an important role in satisfying the demand for nutritious, delicately flavoured and
attractive natural foods of high therapeutic value. Bael fruit having hard shell and
mucilaginous texture is not popularly consumed as a dessert fruit in India. Kokum
and hill lemon are not acceptable in the fresh form owing to their high acidity,
while fresh aonla has a strong astringent taste. Though some value added products
are being manufactured on a small scale, no systematic approach has been made
to utilize the potential of i lesser utilized fruits on a large scale. Available
technologies are for processing of such crops includes ripe bael drink and unripe
mango drink (IIT, Kharagpur), high fiber and anti-oxidant rich cashew apple
powder fortified with 2% cereal flour (NRC Cashew, Puttur), cashew apple and
bael products (squash, RTS, jam, jelly), bael slicer (OUAT, Bhuveneshwar), bael
dry powder, (CIAH, Bikaner), aonla picking machine (HAU, Hissar), process
technologies for aonla beverage and confectionary (CIPHET, Ludhiana), jack
fruit processing (UAS, Bangalore), ber processing technology (ber preserve
beverages, squash, dehydrated powder) (CIAH, Bikaner), value added aonla
products (preserve, candy, shreds, chayawanprash, beverages, toffees, jam and
jellies), aonla de-stoning machine (CISH, Lucknow) and aloe vera jell extractors
(AICRP on PHT, Bhubaneshwar, Jaipur and Udaipur). Development of complete
value chain from harvesting to product preparation is required by integration of
available technologies and machineries to develop a protocol for commercial
adoption.
386 Commercial Horticulture

15. Value addition: Number of technologies based on available raw material in the
country has been developed to meet the demand of processing sector. These
include: juice extraction technologies for production of concentrate from apple,
plum, citrus, fermentation to prepare fruit wines, fruit based carbonated juices,
canning of fruits, pulp extraction, pickling, chutney and sauce making, preserves
and candies, beverages like squashes, drinks and appetizer. Though few of the
technologies are being successfully adopted by the small or cottage scale
entrepreneurs, yet many needs further refinement for commercialization. Important
value added products and technologies optimized at various research institutes
comprise of primary process of mango pulp, recipe for mango pickle, squash and
RTS beverages (CISH, Lucknow), mango powder and toffee (IGKVV, Raipur),
banana puree (Poovan and Ney Poovan cvs) storage in 2000 ppm KMS, banana
floor based products (biscuits, chapattis, bread, health drinks) (NRCB, Trichy),
Nagpur mandarin and mosambi juice blends with grape and aonla juice (NRCC,
Nagpur), bulk storage protocol for grape juice (NRCG, Pune), liquefied sapota
RTS beverage (IIHR, Bangalore), blended guava leather, pomegranate jelly, RTS
and beverages and minimally processed pomegranate arils technology (CIPHET,
Ludhiana), carbonated pine apple beverages, passion fruit RTS beverages (IIHR,
Bangalore), hurdle technology for onion bulb preservation, minimal processing
technology for cauliflower, carrot and bitter gourd and steep preservation of carrots
and RTE carrots shreds (IIVR, Varanasi), candies and pickle from watermelon
rind (IIHR, Bangalore), tender arecanut punch, cutter and oil expeller, coconut
testa remover and coconut milk extractor (CPCRI, Kasargod), date palm jam
and chutney (CIAH, Bikaner), salted ginger technology, white pepper making
technology (IISR, Calicut), cashew kernel baby bits from low grade cashew kernels
(NRC Cashew, Puttur), mushroom based value added products like pickle, biscuits,
curry in retort pouches, nuggets, steeped mushrooms (DMR, Solan) and mushroom
based instant noodles, and soup powder (AICRP on PHT, Solan), guava RTS
beverages and fruit bars (CIPHET, Ludhiana), debittering technology for kinnow
juice, mix fruit leather from sapota, ready to constitute makhana kheer mix, ber
based value added products, aonla beverages, anardana tablets, micro-
encapsulator, beet root powder, carrot powder, chilli processing plant, green chilli
powder puree, dried garlic slices and ginger powder (CIPHET, Ludhiana), tomato
paste and fluidized bed drier for mushroom (TNAU, Coimbatore), mahua flower
RTS beverage and jam (OUAT, Bhubaneswar), betel leaf oil extractor (IIT,
Kharagpur), pedal operated potato slicer and peeler (CIAE, Bhopal), peeler cum
polisher for ginger and turmeric (MPUAT, Udaipur), ginger based value added
products (AAU, Jorhat), turmeric/ginger washer (OUAT, Bhuvaneshwar),
improved farm level turmeric boiler (TNAU, Coimbatore) and turmeric ginger
washer (OUAT, Bhubaneshwar). Popularization of the optimized technologies
among the farmers is required for commercial adoption. Further nationwide
commercial scale processing of mangoes, processing of grapes in Maharashtra
 Recent Advances in Post Harvest Handling of Horticultural Crops 387

and Andhra Pradesh and apple in Himachal Pradesh and J&k is commendable.
The establishment of a Horticulture Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation
Ltd (HPMC) in J&K and HP and establishment of a juice dispensing network
throughout the country is landmark in apple industry. Few of the advanced
technologies such as vacuum concentration, aseptic packaging, freeze drying and
individual quick freezing (IQF) for tomatoes, mushroom, peas, cauliflower etc
have been adopted by the large scale entrepreneurs and multinational enterprises
but are beyond the reach of small/cottage scale entrepreneurs.
16. Fermented products: Production of alcoholic drinks like cider, wine, vermouth
etc. is now an accepted practice for utilization of different fruits. Manufacture of
champagne (sparkling wine), still wine and brandy from grapes is commercially
practiced in the country. In Himachal Pradesh, apple and plum waste winery has
been successfully established for the production of cider, wine and vermouth.
Processes have also been standardized for preparation of alcoholic beverages
from various fruits such as apricot, wild apricot, peach, plum, apple, strawberry
and kiwi fruit (YSPUHF, Solan). Banana wine (NRCB, Trichy), wines from
different cvs. of grapes (IIHR, Bangalore) and Litchi wine (CISH, Lucknow).
However, process protocol is still required to be developed for preparation of
brewed vinegar for which there is a great demand among the consumers.
17. Byproduct waste utilization: Fruit processing plants generate large volume of
by-products in the form of pomace, seeds, stones, skin, peel which is thrown as a
waste. Though such left over produce shall contain good proportion of nutrients
which can be utilized to prepare large number of value added products for industrial
uses. Apple far example utilized for juice extraction in hpmc fruit processing
plants in Himachal Pradesh and J&K generates huge quantity of apple pomace
which presently been thrown as waste, resulting in environmental pollution in and
around the fruit processing plant. Efforts have been made to utilize pomace in
extraction of pectin, dietary fibre and industrial alcohol at lab scale (YSPUHF,Solan;
GBPUAT, Pantnagar). HPMC has started manufacture of vermin compost from
apple pomace on trial basis in HP. Development of pilot scale facility for production
of such products is required for commercial adoption. Citrus fruit pomace left
after juice extraction in processing plant also need to be utilized for pectin extraction
to meet the demand of Indian food industry. Fruit stones/seed left after processing
of stone fruits can be utilized for extraction of oil for various food, pharmaceutical
and cosmetic purposes. Few technologies and machinery developed for apricot
oil extraction (YSPUHF, Solan) also need to evaluated for oil extraction from
other stone fruits like peach and plum. Similarly, technologies are required for
utilization of large quantity of mango stone and pomace for extraction of starch
and other products. The available information on waste utilization from different
fruits include utilization of mango peel for preparation of vinegar, protein enriched
animal feed and compost and high fiber containing biscuits from aonla pomace
388 Commercial Horticulture

(CISH, Lucknow), possibility for extraction of peel oil ,pectin, peel powder and
animal feed from citrus peel pomace and seed, process for citrus peel candy
making, dehydration of peel and pomace and pigment extraction from dried peel
(NRCC, Nagpur), technology for instant potato products from un-marketable
potato (YSPUHF, Solan), fiber extraction from oil palm and its utilization (NRC,
Oil Palm) and utilization of kinnow fruit peel for face care products (CIPHET,
Ludhiana). However, refinement of such technologies and development of pilot
scale facility for commercial utilization of waste in the fruit processing plants
shall result in significant development in this aspect. Work on utilization of fruit
peel for extraction of natural pigment/food colorants and preparation of anti-
oxidant (flavonoids) rich products is also required to be carried out keeping in
view the consumer demand for health foods.

Future Strategies
1. Crop productivity and quality maintenance through selection, breeding,
biotechnology and integrated pre - and post harvest management.
2. Minimization / prevention of wastage and quality loss through development of
cool chain technology.
3. Minimization of wastage and quality loss by reduction in the numbers of intermediary
produce handling stages and agencies.
4. Stabilization of produce supply and prices by maintenance of proper procurement
and distribution chain.
5. Increase in the farmer’s share of the consumer price.
6. Expansion of raw material availability and up gradation of its quality.
7. Harmonization of various food laws.
8. Rationalization of taxes and levies.
9. Investment and improvement in infrastructure like rural roads, rural electrification,
waste land development, cold chain etc.
10. Health, fitness, wellbeing, nutrition, convenience and freshness are likely to drive
the Indian Food Processing Industry in the years ahead, as in the rest of the
world. So for the fulfillment of these needs; health oriented nutraceuticals and
functional foods, minimally processed foods, fresh cut, pre-prepared vegetables
and salads, heart healthy, diabetic friendly foods and food supplements, low sugar/
salt/fat/cholesterol foods, organically grown foods and other kindred food products
may be the drive foods of the future. Convenience foods like instant mixes, ready
– to – cook, ready-to-bake, ready -to – eat and ready-to-drink foods and beverages
already becoming popular may soon become the order of the day.
 Recent Advances in Post Harvest Handling of Horticultural Crops 389

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