CARRY OUT HARVEST

AND POSTHARVEST
OPERATIONS
Presentation by: MFI Polytechnic Institute Inc.
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 MATURITY INDICES
 These are the indicators or signs that fruits
and vegetables are ready to harvest. It may be
the appearance, size, number of days or color.

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 MATURITY OF SOME FRUITS

1. Banana
Leaves begin to dry up
9-12 weeks from the
appearance of the
false hand. Color
indexes 1 - 7 is the
ripening stage of
banana fruit.
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 MATURITY OF SOME FRUITS

2. Mango
Fruit has attained
full size and full
cheeks, 110-120
days from flower
induction.

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 MATURITY OF SOME FRUITS
Indices may be used in determining
maturity are as follows:
•Color of the rind, fruit, stem, and pulp

•Form or shape of the fruit

•Sound of the fruit when tap tightly

•Number of days from flower induction

•Days from flower induction (DFI) 115-

125 days
•Flotation in 1% salt solution

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 MATURITY OF SOME FRUITS
• Flattened shoulders at the
stem end
• Fullness of cheeks
• Bloom or presence of white
powdery deposit on the peel
• Yellow green pedicel-end in
some of the fruit
• Yellowing of the pulp

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 MATURITY OF SOME FRUITS

3. Pineapple
10-50% of the shell is
yellow, the peduncle
shows signs of shriveling.
4. Citrus
25% surface show
patches of yellow or light
green.
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 MATURITY OF SOME FRUITS

5. Papaya
Trace of yellow at apical
end of fruit.
6. Strawberry
75% of surface is pink or
red.

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 MATURITY OF SOME FRUITS

7. Rambutan
90% of fruit changes to
yellow, yellow-red or red
depending on the typical
color of the variety.
8. Chico
green ground color turns
yellow to light brown.
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 PREPARE FOR HARVEST

1. Field is visited for visual or ocular inspection

of vegetable crops for harvest.
Remove obstructions from the field for
efficient harvesting.
Harvesting tools and materials are readied

Temporary shed is cleaned and prepared

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 HARVESTING TOOLS AND
MATERIALS
The following are the suitable tools and
equipment used for harvesting fruits:

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 HARVESTING METHODS
Papaya, Oranges, Jackfruit, Chico,
Atis, Guyabano - Handpicking is
needed for individual dwarf variety
fruit by twisting until its stalk snaps
off for. For tall plants, harvester
should climb the tree using a ladder.
When the container is full, it is
gently lowered then emptied. Fruits
should never be dropped to the
ground.
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 HARVESTING METHODS
Grapes - Harvesting is done by hand
with the help of a sharp shear. Grasp
the cluster end and cut it off the cane.
Retain a long peduncle on the fruit
cluster for easy display. Handle the fruit
cluster through the stem or peduncle to
minimize removal of the bloom on the
berries. Place fruit in the basket as they
picked. Exchange the full basket for an
empty one and continue picking.
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 HARVESTING METHODS
Lanzones, Rambutan - Harvesting is
done by hand with the help of a sharp
shear. Grasp the cluster end and cut it
off the cane. Retain a long peduncle on
the fruit cluster for easy display. Use a
ladder or climb the tree. Place harvested
fruits in a basket which is tied with a
rope so that when the basket is full, the
picker can easily lower it without
having to go down the tree.
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 HARVESTING METHODS
Mangoes, santol, star apple -
Harvesting is done using a pole picker
(salok or sigpao). Use a ladder of climb
to up the tree. Use the pole picker to
detach the ripe bunch by pulling it,
making sure that the peduncle falls
inside the pole. Slowly lower the pole,
transferring the fruits in a basket of
kaing. Replace full baskets with empty
ones and continue picking.
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 TIPS IN HARVESTING

 Fruits and vegetables are handled according

to the basic principles of tender loving care.
 Fruits and vegetables are living organisms and

should be handled with extra care.

 Shelf life are prolonged when handled with

care

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 TIPS IN HARVESTING
1. Minimize mechanical injuries
Traditional harvesting methods such as pulling,
twisting, jerking or bending can be improved by
using clippers, shears or knives. This is most
effective for guava, citrus, papaya or pineapple
Attaching knives and shears to the pole and having
a net or bag held open by a ring beneath the cutting
instrument to the catch the fruit can improve the
picking poles and hand catching method.
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 TIPS IN HARVESTING

2. Avoid high temperature

Harvest as early or as late as
possible, especially if cooling is not
available. Exceptions are for
mangos and citrus, which are
harvested later in the day between
9am-3pm. At such time, the sap or
latex flow in mango and citrus is
slow, thus, latex stain is lower.
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 TIPS IN HARVESTING

3. Minimize contact with the soil. 

Place commodities immediately in containers to
avoid picking up dirt microorganisms.

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 TIPS IN HARVESTING

4. Harvest during dry weather.

Diseases, especially molds rapidly develop
when crops are harvested during or shortly
after the rain.

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 CLIMACTERIC FRUITS

Climacteric fruits refer to fruits that have high
respiration rate during the fruit's ripening

Climacteric fruits are ones that are able to ripen after
being picked.

Will continue to ripen after the fruit has left the
plant.

Climacteric fruits include, but are not limited to
apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, cantaloupes, figs,
guavas, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, peaches, pears,
persimmons, plums and tomatoes.
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 NON-CLIMACTERIC FRUITS

Non-climacteric fruit stops the ripening
process the minute they leave the plant.

That is why you have never bought a green
strawberry. A green strawberry will always be
a green strawberry. It will never turn red, it
will never get juicy and it will never taste
good.

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EXAMPLE OF CLIMACTERIC AND
NON CLIMACTERIC FRUITS
Climacteric Non-Climacteric

Avocado Eggplant
Mango Lemon
Guava Orange
Banana Watermelon
Papaya Pineapple
Tomato Pepper
Apple

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 POSTHARVEST

Postharvest is the stage of crop production
immediately following harvest, including
cooling, cleaning, sorting and packaging.
Fresh vegetables are subject to rapid quality
deterioration after harvest due to their high
water content, spoilage, pathogens and
insect/pest.

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 POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY
 The three main objectives of applying
postharvest technology are as follows:
1.To maintain quality (appearance, texture,
flavor and nutritive value)
2.To protect food safety, and
3.To reduce losses (both physical and in market
value) between harvest and consumption.

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 POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY
1. HARVESTING
Harvesting is the gathering of plant parts which are
ready to be collected for different purposes. It is
important to harvest at the proper maturity
stage and at peak quality. The time of the day
when harvesting is done also affects produce
quality and shelf life. Harvesting during the
coolest time of the day (e.g. early morning or
late afternoon) is desirable.
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 POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY

If harvesting during the hotter part of the day

cannot be avoided, the produce should be kept
shaded in the field.

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 POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY
2. SORTING AND GRADING
Sorting and grading of produce is usually based on
maturity, size, shape, color, weight and freedom
from defects such as insect, disease and
mechanical damage.

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 POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY
3. WASHING AND SANITIZING 
Most vegetables are washed in clean water to remove
dirt, debris and surface contaminants. This is
especially important during rainy weather as the
produce is often contaminated with soil. Sanitation
is essential to control the spread of diseases from
one to another.

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 POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY
4. TRIMMING
Trimming is the general term for cutting or removing
unwanted parts, those likely to be rejected by
consumers, or those that can shorten storage life.
 Dehanding- separation of hands and removal of

stalks in banana.
 Dethorning- removal of thorns in roses.

 Topping-trimming of tops and the vegetative parts

of carrot, garlic, onion bulb and radish.

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 POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY
 Dehusking- removal of the husk of sweet corn,
baby corn
 Desilking- removal of the silk in baby corn and

sweet corn
 Detopping- removal of crowns of pineapple fruits

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 POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY
5. PACKAGING
Proper packaging is essential to maintain freshness of
leafy vegetables. It should be designed to prevent
premature deterioration in product quality.
Examples of packages are plastic baskets, cartons,
bamboo baskets of different sizes and shapes.

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 POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY
6. COOLING AND STORAGE
Cooling extends the shelf-life of the commodity by
reducing the rate of physiological change (i.e rate
of respiration and transpiration) and retarding the
growth of spoilage microorganisms. Temperature
is the most important environmental factor that
influences the deterioration of harvested
commodities.

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 POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY
7. LABELING AND MARKETING 
The package must identify and provide useful
information about the produce. It is customary to
provide information such as the:
• produce name • net weight
• brand • count
• size • grower
• grade • shipper
• variety • country of origin

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 POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY
8. TRANSPORTING
Minimizing losses during transport necessitates
special attention to vehicles, equipment,
infrastructure, and handling. In transportation,
major losses by
improper handling during loading and unloading;
over loading without separation of produce, which
leads to overheating and mechanical injury to
produce at the bottom of the stack; rough roads;
and lack of ventilation of the produce.
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 POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY
 Stacking of containers in the transport load
provides one of the major challenges to reduce
mechanical injury.

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 POSTHARVEST HANDLING

Different processes of ensuring the quality and
shelf life of fruits or vegetables after harvest
prior to sales or use without changing its basic
appearance (cleaning, trimming, sorting,
packing, storing and transporting)
Important goals of postharvest handling:
 Keeping the product cool

 Avoid moisture loss and slow down undesirable

chemical changes
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 POSTHARVEST HANDLING
 Avoid physical damage
 Delay spoilage or simply

 To prolong the shelf-life of the commodities.

The basic principle of postharvest handling is

TLC which stands for Tender Loving Care.

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 PERISHABLES VS DURABLES

Perishables are food

crops whose food
value is maintained
over a short period of Durables are food
time after harvest. crops which can be
maintained as food
over a long period of
time.
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 POST HARVEST LOSSES
 Post-harvest losses can be due to
technological and non-technological reasons:
Technological: Non-technological:
•Lack of transportation •Decay
•Lack of storage •Yellowing
•Adverse weather •Wilting
conditions
•Inefficiency of

distribution
•Lack of market demand
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FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO
POST HARVEST LOSSES
1. Socio-economic
a. Lack of knowledge on postharvest technology
b. Lack of appreciation for the significance of
postharvest losses and problems
c. Lack of capital
2. Technical factors
a. Lack of proper storage facilities
b. Lack of suitable transportation facilities
c. Improper handling of commodities
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FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO
POST HARVEST LOSSES
3. Biological factors
a. Pest and pathological microorganism
b. Rats, birds, animals, etc.
c. Normal aging process of plants and fruits
4. Pre-harvest factors
a. Climate-unfavorable climate conditions
b. Cultural practices
c. Genetic factors (choice of crops and varieties
produced)
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 CAUSES OF LOSSES IN POSTHARVEST
HANDLING & STORAGE
CAUSES POSSIBLE SOLUTION

1. High moisture content Proper drying

2. High temperature Enough ventilation/refrigeration

3. Respiration Appropriate shade structures &

refrigeration
4. Rodents Rat proofing & baiting

5. Insects Chemical treatment

6. Molds & fungi Proper drying & ambient/normal

conditions
7. Birds Use traps & scare crows

8. Spillage Appropriate containers & control rats

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 CAUSES OF LOSSES IN POSTHARVEST
HANDLING & STORAGE
CAUSE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
1. Careless physical handling 
Proper packaging

Immediate processing

Proper harvesting, packing, loading,
transporting, storing & marketing
2. Failure to control environmental 
Proper ventilation, sorting & complete
conditions observance of time in harvesting

Remove infected/injured parts soon after
harvest (trimming)

Remove soil particles on produce by
washing & wiping

Separate from ripening fruits to omit
ethylene gas
3. Delay in postharvest handlings and Timely planning & scheduling of harvest


storage practices & postharvest activities

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 CAUSES OF LOSSES IN POSTHARVEST
HANDLING & STORAGE
CAUSE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
1. Careless physical handling 
Proper packaging

Immediate processing

Proper harvesting, packing, loading,
transporting, storing & marketing
2. Failure to control environmental 
Proper ventilation, sorting & complete
conditions observance of time in harvesting

Remove infected/injured parts soon after
harvest (trimming)

Remove soil particles on produce by
washing & wiping

Separate from ripening fruits to omit
ethylene gas
3. Delay in postharvest handlings and Timely planning & scheduling of harvest


storage practices & postharvest activities

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 CAUSES OF DAMAGE
 Mechanical-there is alteration in the appearance of a
commodity due to physical factors such as dropping,
throwing, pressing, bouncing or rubbing against a
rough surface.
 Pathological-this is damage due to microbiological

agents.
 Physiological-this leads to abnormal flavor, texture

and color due to unfavorable environmental factors.

This is not a problem for less than a day travel. It
becomes a major problem as travel time gets longer.
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 KINDS OF MECHANICAL DAMAGE
 Bruising-causes changes in texture, color and/or flavor
due to physical factors without any break in the skin.
 Wounding-is manifested as breaks in the skin. The terms
cut and puncture refer to the method by which the
wound is inflicted while crack, split and breakage
describe the resultant effect.

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 KINDS OF MECHANICAL DAMAGE
 Distortion-any change in the shape of an intact fruit,
vegetable or flower, head not characteristic of the
commodity and variety is considered as distortion.

 Compression damage-part of or the whole commodity

flattens when it is squeezed or forced together.

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 KINDS OF MECHANICAL DAMAGE
 Abrasion-this results in the removal, scraping or
separation of skin from the pulp

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 SOURCES OF DAMAGE
 Impact-this is damage made by collision between the
produce and a hard surface. The greater the impact,
the faster the produce deteriorates and rots. It occurs
when:
 Produce undergo rapid acceleration or deceleration
such as when containers of produce are dropped
during loading and unloading.
 Vehicles suddenly stops or starts
 Vehicle hits a hump on the road or a path hole and
the load is not well secured.
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 SOURCES OF DAMAGE
 Compression-occurs when heavy weight is placed on top of
the commodity. It occurs:
 In very deep container for a particular commodity; as depth
of package increases, the proportion of compression damage
increases.
 Where over packing occurs
 When packing in a flexible container; compression is usually
the case where a package is too weak to support the load
above it.
 When bamboo basket is laid on its side
 When stacking is too high or improper
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 SOURCES OF DAMAGE

 Vibration-damage occurs when the produce

is repeatedly shaken for prolonged periods
within the container during transport.
Damage is greatest: 
 In loose packs where there is little to restrain

vibration especially at the top layer in the

pack
 In shallow packages

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 SOURCES OF DAMAGE

 When the suspension system of transport

vehicles is poor or defective and where the
road is rough. A good suspension should allow
a greater force to be absorbed and dissipated
especially on rough roads and less vibration
force is passed on to the commodity.
 In rounded and smooth commodities with soft

peels compared to those with uneven shapes,

firm and thick peels.
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 PACKAGING

 Packaging is the art, science and technology

of bringing goods from its source to the place
of consumption at the minimum cost possible.
 Packing describes the act of putting produce

into a package and preparing the packaged

produce for shipment or transport.

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 FUNCTIONS OF A PACKAGE

 Facilitate easy handling

 Protects produce from all of forms of damage

 Sells the produce

 Informs the consumer

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 KINDS OF PACKAGES

According to Material:
1. Burlap 2. Fibrous Materials

3. Wood 4. Paper sheets

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 KINDS OF PACKAGES

According to Material:
5. Plastic

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 KINDS OF PACKAGES

According to Protective Capacity:

 Flexible- allows easy movement for
commodities hence, does not offer much
protection to commodity; useful for bulky or
hard produce.
 Semi-rigid and rigid containers- semi-rigid
ones offer lesser protection than rigid ones
which are stronger.
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 KINDS OF PACKAGES

According to Returnability:
 One-trip containers- designed for one-time
use; these are usually non-rigid and cheap
containers.
Returnable- designed for returnability or
multi-trip use.

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 KINDS OF PACKAGES

According to Protective Capacity:

 Flexible- allows easy movement for
commodities hence, does not offer much
protection to commodity; useful for bulky or
hard produce.
 Semi-rigid and rigid containers- semi-rigid
ones offer lesser protection than rigid ones
which are stronger.
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 KINDS OF PACKAGES

According to Design:
1. Bags and sacks 2. Baskets

3. Crates and boxes

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 KINDS OF PACKAGES

According to Storability:
1. Stackable 2. Nestable 3. Collapsible

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CONSIDERATIONS IN CHOOSING A
PACKAGE
1. Commodity
2. Type of loading
3. Method of selling
4. Cost of effectiveness
5. Distance of delivery
6. Convenience and availability

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 CONSIDERATIONS IN STORAGE
AND STACKING
 STORAGE
Storage is the process of protecting produce from
animal, pest, rain, dampness, fire and theft. It is also a
facility that provides an environment which maintains
the produce in proper condition for a long period of
time.
OBJECTIVES OF STORAGE
 To minimize reduction of quality and quantity of

produce
 To provide sufficient supply between harvest

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 FACTORS THAT CAUSES CHANGES
DURING STORAGE
 Physical factors-consist of variation and
fluctuation of temperature and humidity.
 Chemical factors-mainly on moisture content

and oxygen concentration.

 Physiological factors-due to physical and
chemical actions, there is respiration and
heating
 Biological factors-due to insects, rodents and

microorganisms
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 TIPS IN STORING FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES
1. Store only good quality crops
2. Store fruits the soonest possible time after
harvest to prolong their storage life
3. Make sure that storage rooms and containers
are clean
4. Do not mix fruits and vegetables in one
storage room

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 TIPS IN STORING FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES
5. Separate ripe from unripe fruits
6. Store roots and bulbs in a relatively dry
atmosphere
7. Store only until such time when you can
make reasonable profit
8. Practice care in storing your products

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