Central Bicol State University of Agriculture

San Jose, Pili, Camarines Sur

PRE-HARVEST FACTORS
AFFECTING QUALITY OF
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
AFTER HARVEST
Prepared by:
Joel Solomo Balindan
Instructor in Cropscie 3
INTRODUCTION
 Many pre harvest factors are known to affect
the quality of harvested crops. All these factors
generally fall either as climatic and non- climatic
factors are definitely within man’s reach,
therefore could be controlled
 Interaction among the different climatic and
non-climatic factors do occur and such, it is
quite difficult to ascertain the desirable levels of
these factors in relation to their effect on the
quality of the harvested commodity
 No amount of post-harvest treatment
can transform a poor quality produce to
a good quality one
PRE HARVEST MODIFIERS OF
QUALITY
1. GENETIC FACTORS
2. CLIMATIC FACTORS
TEMPERATURE
LIGHT
WIND
RELATIVE HUMIDITY
3. NON-CLIMATIC FACTORS
IRRIGATION
FERTILIZATION
CHEMICAL SPRAYS
OTHER FACTOR
PRE HARVEST MODIFIERS OF
QUALITY
1. GENETIC FACTORS

 The cultivars differ in resistance to physical as well

as physiological stress and storage potential.
Tomatoes fruits with more locules BRCI (4 locules)
exhibit lower bio yielded and rupture points than
the oblong and 2 loculed “ Apollo white thus
have the lower resistance to the stresses during
handling and storage
 ….PRE HARVEST MODIFIERS OF
QUALITY
2. CLIMATIC FACTORS- climatic factors include
temperatures, light, rainfall, wind and relative humidity
a. Temperature
✓ Affects maturation rate
✓ For most fruits and vegetables, the higher the
temperature during growing period, the earlier the
time of harvest
✓ In India, it was observed that the maturity of mango
fruits differ even within the same location and
variety; this has been attributed to temperature
differences
✓ 21 degrees celcius or higher were found to start
ripening earlier
….PRE HARVEST MODIFIERS OF
QUALITY
Pigmentation (Color) is also affected by
temperature
✓ In valencia oranges, the change from green to
orange color will not occur in temperatures higher
than 12 degrees celcius
✓ In tomatoes, beyond 21 degrees celcius tomatoes
do not exhibit the full red color. This is due to the
effects on lycopene synthesis
✓ Optimal red pigmentation could be attained at
16-21 degrees celcius
….PRE HARVEST MODIFIERS OF
QUALITY

✓ Nutritive quality (Chemical composition) may

influence by temperature too
✓ If the temperature for the growth and
development is higher than required, chemical
components are not properly develop hence
eating quality is not good or nutritive value is low
….PRE HARVEST MODIFIERS OF
QUALITY
✓ Tomatoes grown in 26 degrees celcius contained
more ascorbic acid than those from plants grown
at 17degrees celcius
✓ In cabbage. High riboflavin and thiamine content
at 10-15 degrees celcius
✓ Temperature affects the texture
✓ At high temperature 24-27 degrees celcius rough
skinned potato tubers are produced and periderm
cracks
….PRE HARVEST MODIFIERS OF
QUALITY
b. LIGHT- The duration intensity and characteristic of
light affects fruits and vegetables at harvest. During
the rainy periods, cloudy skies affect light intensity. It is
general known that photosynthetic activity of plants
increases with light intensity up to a critical limit or
point
✓ Maturation rate. Mango and citrus exposed to the
sun mature at a faster rate than shaded fruits in
same tree
✓ Composition and eating quality. In citrus and
tomatoes fruit expose to light/sunlight have more
solid contents and less acidic than those were
shaded. This has also been observe in mango
….PRE HARVEST MODIFIERS OF
QUALITY
Bulb formation in onion and garlic have shown to be
affected by daylength and daylight patterns. Varieties
develop for short day climates will not produce large
bulbs under long days
✓ In several tomato varieties, an increase from 12 to 16
hours day length has been shown to increase solid
content but did not affect acidity quality
✓ Fruits exposed to direct sunlight have higher
carotene levels than shaded fruits
✓ Lights exposure is favorable to vitamin C
accumulation
✓ Fruits exposed to sunlight have brighter color than
those are not
….PRE HARVEST MODIFIERS OF
QUALITY

c. WIND
✓ Strong winds during fruit development causes
scars of fruit tissue
✓ Fruit develop a corky surface called wind scar
when two surfaces of fruits rub together or when
a twig or leaf rubs against a fruit
✓ Citrus and avocado are susceptible to wind
scars
….PRE HARVEST MODIFIERS OF
QUALITY

d. RELATIVE HUMIDITY
✓ Citrus, rambutan, and mangosteen fruits
develop when the relative humidity is high are
larger and heavier due to higher total solids
✓ Citrus also has thinner rind, lesser in number,
lower soluble solids but contained more juice
….PRE HARVEST MODIFIERS OF
QUALITY
3. NON- CIMATIC FACTORS- Pre- harvest production
practices returns in quality and quantity and result in
the rejection or downgrading of produce at the time
of the sale
a. IRRIGATION
✓ Adequate water supply to the plant during its
growth is one requirement favorable to the
production of superior quality fruits and vegetables
✓ The irrigation may also be an indirect effect of better
uptake of nutrients and translocating them to where
they are needed the most by plant
….PRE HARVEST MODIFIERS OF
QUALITY
✓ Inadequate moisture may lead to wilting, in some
fruits smaller and fewer fruits may be obtained in
areas deficient in water supply, some may be
shriveled, lacking of or decreased juice volume
but perhaps sweeter
✓ Excessive moisture on the other hand, lead to
bigger fruits that may lack sweetness
✓ Cracking of tomato fruits has been associated to
plentiful moisture regimes
….PRE HARVEST MODIFIERS OF
QUALITY
✓ Onions become soft and rot easily if irrigate 23
days prior to harvest since the bulb become
succulent
✓ In honeydew melons, withholding irrigation water
at the second or third week from fruit setting (18-
25 days before harvest) causes a decrease in
size and soluble solids
….PRE HARVEST MODIFIERS OF
QUALITY
b. FERTILIZATION- Mineral nutrition is another
essential element in the growth an development of
plants
✓ Calcium deficiency in tomato results in blossom
end rot
✓ High N fertilization shorten the postharvest life of
cut flowers
✓ High K of harvested cutflowers results in better
retention of moisture, thus wilting is retarded
….PRE HARVEST MODIFIERS OF
QUALITY
c. CHEMICAL SPRAYS- Chemical sprays exert their
effects also the quality of fruits an vegetables
✓ Some soil fumigants- Te lone and Nemagon
brought about increase in carotene content in
carrots
✓ Excessive use of pesticides/ fumigants may leave
some residues that may not be removed/
destroyed during washing, processing or cooking of
the product
✓ Growth regulators applied as sprays/ mist may
affect internal and external fruit qualities
✓ Gibberellic acid at 75 ppm when sprayed on
strawberry fruits produced more or less cylindrically
formed berries
END OF LECTURE 3