Optimizing biopesticides in vegetable crops
Consumer interest in more environmentally responsible processes continues to grow. Biopesticides – pest control agents derived from natural sources such as bacteria, fungi, animals and minerals – are an alternative to conventional synthetic products. But in the battle to control increasingly resistant pests, is it possible to reconcile organic with yield? Powdery mildew on peppers […]
Loss Prevention
Losses can be prevented by following good practices, as outlined above. There is also a wide range of post-harvest technologies that can be adopted to reduce losses throughout the production process: pre-harvest, harvesting, cooling, temporary storage, transportation, handling, and distribution to market. Recommended technologies vary depending on the type of loss experienced. However, all interventions […]
Damage in the marketing chain
Fruits and vegetables are very susceptible to mechanical injury. This can occur at all stages of the marketing chain and can result from poor harvesting practices, such as the use of dirty knives; unsuitable containers used at harvest or during the marketing process, e.g. containers that can be easily crushed or made of splintered boards, […]
Causes of post-harvest loss
Fruits and vegetables are living parts of plants and contain 65 to 95 percent water. When water and nutrient reserves are depleted, rotting and death of these products occurs. Anything that increases the rate at which nutrients and water from a product’s reserves are used up increases the likelihood of losses. Acceleration of normal physiological […]
Post-harvest losses
Post-harvest losses include all losses of agricultural products, primarily food, along the agricultural value chain from the field to the consumer’s plate. Post-harvest activities include harvesting, handling, storage, processing, packaging, transportation and marketing; The FAO estimates post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables at 30-40%. The U.S. government estimates that about one-third of the food produced […]