Fruit Maturity, Harvesting, and Quality Standards

It can easily be understood with the recent postharvest loss reports from national and international organizations that something is going wrong with our production system of horticultural commodities. Lack of knowledge about maturity, proper harvesting, and postharvest management is the factor responsible for such huge postharvest losses especially in developing countries. Horticulturists are now aware about retaining postharvest quality of horticultural produce. Thus proper postharvest management of horticultural produce starts right from harvesting until it reaches to the consumer. Judging maturity and harvesting horticultural commodity at the right stage is an art and differs crop to crop. It is an irreversible process affecting the internal and external quality directly. Knowledge of harvesting method, harvesting time, and the effect of these factors on the internal and physiological processes of commodity, gives horticulturists an option to select the best harvesting and postharvest management practices for the crop. This chapter deals with detailing the aspects of judging maturity, postharvest treatment, maintenance of quality standards for the overall success of horticulture commodity.