CS 221

Postharvest Handling and Seed Technology

MORPHO-ANATOMICAL BASIS OF
POSTHARVEST HANDLING
TECHNOLOGIES

ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso. Prof. II
MinSU
 Morphoanatomy

Anatomy – study of plant parts such as cells, tissues and

tissue systems under the microscope

Morphology – study of the form and structure of

different organs

Morpho-anatomy – study of the visible and microscopic

parts of the commodity together

ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
 Names of Morphological Parts
bunch
hand

Finger

Bunch – whole set of fruits

Hands – group of fruits
Fingers – individual fruits
Crown – thick part of the hands that connects
http://yourlocalgreengrocer.com.au/produce/banana/
fingers together
Cluster- a separate section of a hand consisting of
two or more fingers ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
• Transitional hand –
hand with undeveloped
fingers

• False hand – hand with

having all fingers
undeveloped

ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
Names of Morphological Parts

crown

core shell

eyes
Crown – leaves on top of the fruit
Eyes – depressed areas on the sides
Fruitlet – segment where eyes are located
Shell – outer inedible skin
Core – hard middle part which is continuation of the stem or
stalk ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
Names of Morphological Parts
flavedo
colored outer layer

albedo
white spongy layer
oil cells – rind staining

Rind – thick tough peel of citrus

Flavedo – thin colored outer layer
Albedo – white thick spongy layer
Juice vesicles – edible parts enclosed by juice sac ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
 Names of Morphological Parts

Bulb

neck

scales
papery scales

base plate
Scales – modified leaf bases or sheaths
Papery scales – thin paper-like outer covering of the bulb (dried
bases of older leaf sheaths)
Neck – upper part of the bulb necks, extension of leaf blades
ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
 Names of Morphological Parts

eyebrow eyes

Eyes – depression (dormant bud)

Eyebrow – slight depression above the eye
ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
 Names of Morphological Parts
wrapper leaves

head

butt

Wrapper leaves – loose leaves that enclose the ball-shaped compact

set of leaves
Head - ball-shape d compact set of leaves
Butt – end of the remaining stem
ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Ribs - petioles Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
Names of Morphological Parts

spadix

spathe

ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
Names of Morphological Parts

curd

florets
ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
 Fruit wall

A fruit is composed of the fruit wall and seeds

Fruit wall consist of the peel and edible part
Peel-is the outer portion of the fruit which serve as natural
packaging material and is directly in contact with the
environment
-the first line of defense of fruits against microorganisms and
ELISA M. AGONCILLO
insects Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
A commodity is a living thing with
a high degree of organization

A high degree of organization allows the plant or

any of its parts to carry out its metabolic
processes.

Breaking this organizational structure changes its

metabolism, eventually resulting to deterioration
of quality

ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
Organizational Structure of Commodities

Organ
Cell Tissue Organism
system

ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
Cell – basic building The Cell
block of a commodity;
Cellular structure of
importance to
postharvest:
Cell wall - mechanical
support
Cell membrane -
compartmentalization
of certain compound;
regulates passage of
substances
Cytoplasm - site of
glycolysis
Nucleus - repository
of genetic information
Mitochondria -
energy powerhouse of
the cell
Plastids – organelle
containing pigments
Vacuole - dumping
ground of cellular
ELISA M. AGONCILLO
waste Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
 Tissue is usually the general term used when
referring to anatomical structure of the commodity
• Three (3) tissue systems:
Dermal system
Epidermal layer, cuticle, stomata, lenticels and emergences

Fundamental/Ground system
Parenchyma, collenchyma and sclerenchyma cells

Vascular system
Xylem, phloem and laticifers
ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
The Dermal System(epidermis or periderm (stems and
roots)) is the microscopic covering of the different plants
organs; protects it from injury and temperature change and
is continuous from leaves to roots

Penetration of
chemicals

Volatilization of
aromatic Inception of
compounds microorganism

Resistance to:
- temperature stress
- mechanical injury

Textural changes
ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
 Dermal System: Cuticle

Diagrammatic illustration of the cuticle from the rambutan fruit surface

(Pantastico et al., 1975)

ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
Cuticle – cuticle is a layer of complex materials deposited above
the epidermal layer
The thicker the cuticle, the greater is the protective capacity for
various processes regulated by the dermal system

Cuticle break – where gas diffusion could take place and

microorganism can enter

Four (4) layers of cuticle:

1.Waxy layer or epicuticular wax:

▪ Topmost layer, easily removed by handling
• Readily melted by enzymes and chemicals
• Dictates protective capacity
Ex. Grapes, cabbage, mango, wax apple, and wax gourd (kundol)

ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
Cutin or cuticularized layer:
• non-meltable layer beneath the wax
• Composed of fatty material – does not allow passage of water
• Cannot be degraded by enzymes
• Greatest barrier to entry of microorganisms and chemicals
• 30-80% of cuticle
Pectin layer:
Nearest to the epidermal cell
Easily degraded by microorganisms
Cutinized layer:
Between cutin and pectin layers

ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
 Dermal System: Stomates and Lenticels

Lenticel

Stomata

More stomates = faster deterioration (leaves wilt faster than stem

and fruits)
Lenticels - are comprised of circular group of loose corky cells
protruding tissues with central opening connected to the
intercellular spaces between cells of the fruit, stem or root
Ex. musk melon netted structure, brown spots in potato when wet
(1 lenticel for every 4cm2 of potato), Rambutan (tip of the
spinterns), mango
ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
Fruits with lenticels

ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
 Dermal System: Emergences and Trichomes
Jackfruit
Rambutan spine
spinterns

Durian
spine

Some crops have hairs or spines – these outgrowths of the epidermal

cells; vary in size and complexity
More hairs and spines - faster biological processes
Emergences (conspicuous hair or spines) vs Trichomes (Tiny hairs
that are almost microscopic)
Hairs and spines are usually connected to the vascular bundle
ELISA M. AGONCILLO

Ex . Guyabano and marang Asso.. Prof. II

MinSU
Trichomes in some crops

ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
 Vascular System: Xylem, Phloem, Laticifers
Laticifer

Vascular tissues – are assembly of conducting tissues and associated supportive fibers
Xylem – water and nutrient transport
Phloem – Food transport
Laticifers or laticiferous ducts – are cells containing latex or sap
Forms network in the fruit and at right angles to the long axis of the fruit
No more laticifers when fruits are already yellow ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
Ex. papaya, mango, chico MinSU
Fundamental or Ground System
• Parenchyma – principal seat of essential activities
– Photosynthesis
– Respiration
• Living cells (meristematic such as periderm), thin walls, large vacuoles
• Found in all parts of the plants and are the principal seat of metabolic
activities
• They have intercellular spaces that could either be loose or compact
• Edible portion

• Collenchyma
-Serves to strengthen tissue
-Commonly found in stems
• Petiole with protruding ribs – celery
• Strengthening material of cabbage head
- Composed of more or less elongated cells with thicker cell walls to
strengthen stems in most plants
-Occur in the layer below the epidermis
ELISA M. AGONCILLO
-More or less edible Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
 Fundamental or Ground System
• Sclerenchyma
– Fiber cell - string of bean pods
– Sclereids
• hair-like structure of mango pulp
• gritty or sandy texture of guava, chico
• hardy, leathery texture of lanzones

ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
Relationship of Morpho-anatomical Feature to
Handling
• Most leafy vegetables wilt easily
– pechay = 13,000 stomates/cm2 in the lower surface of
one leaf
– banana = 500 stomates/cm2
• Chinese cabbage wilts faster than mustard and pechay
– more trichomes than mustard
– pechay has no trichomes
• Tips wilt and turn brown ahead of other leaf portions
– More stomates at the tip of the leaves

ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
Relationship of Morpho-anatomical Feature to
Handling
• Garlic last longer than onion

vs
• 6 papery scales • less (4) papery scales
• each clove with • no inner protective
protective covering covering
• Potato
– Lenticel blow-out under moist
condition
– Develops blackheart at high
temperature – compact cells

ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
 Relationship of Morpho-anatomical Feature to
Handling
• Asparagus
– Packed upright with space
above spears
– Spear loses its compactness
at high temperature
• Muskmelon
– Net in a system of lenticels
with air-filled suberized
cells
• can withstand handling
well
• Needs to be washed
thoroughly before cutting
– Corrugated nature easily
harbors food pathogens
ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
Relationship of Morpho-anatomical Feature to
Handling
• Lanzones
– Peel turns brown very fast, smooth, thin, non-waxy
cuticle with breaks
• Numerous unicellular trichomes that are
metabolically active up to maturity
• 2 stomates/3 mm peel
– numerous laticifers which dries up fast after harvest

ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
Relationship of Morpho-anatomical Feature to Handling

• Rambutan
– Easily turns brown, dries up
and shrivel
• 200-400 spinterns
• Several thrichomes/spintern
• Several stomates/trichome
(>23/mm)
• 15-20 discrete vascular
bundles/spintern
– Spinterns turn brown first
• 5x more stomates in spintern

ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
 Relationship of Morpho-anatomical Feature to
Handling
• Mango does not respond favorably to modified atmosphere
packaging compared to banana

- cuticle not well defined - lenticels do not create

breaks in the cuticle

- compact cells
- loosely arranged cells
- persistent and continuous
- more intercellular spaces
cuticle

ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
 Surface Area to Volume Ratio (SA/V)
• Determines the reactive area for respiration,
transpiration and penetration of chemicals
– Leaves have the largest SA/V
– The smaller the commodity, the larger the SA/V

vs

– The more the commodity approaches a sphere, the

less is its SA/V

vs

ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asso.. Prof. II
MinSU
 • References:
• Bautista, O.K., Esguerra, E.B. 2007. Postharvest Technology for Southeast
Asian Perishable Crops. University of the Philippines Los Banos, Laguna.
• Sharma, V. 2015. Postharvest Handling of Food Crops. Random
Publications. USA.
• Florkowski, W.J. et al. 2009. Postharvest Handling. A System Approach.
Institute for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ), Germany
• Bautista, O.K. et.al. 1994. Introduction to Tropical Horticulture .
SEAMEO, SEARCA, UPLB.

•
ELISA M. AGONCILLO
Asst. Prof. IV
MinSU