i. Course Title: HT 202- POSTHARVEST PHYSIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
ii. Course aim:
Students to be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills on horticultural produce handling and loss reduction strategies.
iii. Course expected learning outcome(s)
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
• Name and describe the different types of horticultural produce based on storability
• Explain biological principles associated with post-harvest deterioration of fresh horticultural produce
• Describe the different techniques employed in harvesting and post-harvest handling of perishable horticultural produce
• Apply techniques for improving shelf life and quality of harvested fresh produce
iv. Course status: Core
v. Credit rating: 6 Credits
vi. Total hours spent: 60 hours
Lectures 24hrs
Seminars/Tutorials 0 hrs
Assignments 08hrs
Independent Study 04hrs
Practical 24hrs
vii. Course content
Post-harvest physiology of fruits, vegetables and cut flowers with particular reference to the physiological and biochemical changes that occurs in the ripening and senescence of fruits and other horticultural produces. Principles and methods of harvesting, cleaning, grading, packing, pre-cooling, waxing, sanitation and transportation of horticultural crops. Storage methods including common, refrigerated, controlled atmosphere, hypobaric and radiation storage. Quality and safety assurance. Familiarization of spice quality standards for export markets.
Practical skills:
Identification of fresh horticultural produce; Application of maturity indices of different horticultural produce; Application of different treatments to prolong shelf and improved quality of fresh produce, including packaging of fresh produce, refrigeration of fresh produce and Ethylene/Smoke treatments.
viii. Teaching and learning activities
The course will be delivered through lectures, practical sessions, seminars/tutorials and independent study sessions.
ix. Assessment methods
The course will be assessed by quizzes, assignments, seminar presentation reports, practical reports, practical tests, theory tests and end of semester University examination.
x. Reading list
APO (2006). Postharvest management of fruit and vegetables in the Asia-Pacific Region. Asian Productivity Organization – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. pp. 312.
Barbosa-Canovas, G. V., Fernandez-Molina, J. J., Alzamora, S. M., Tapia, M. S., Lopez- Malo, A. and Chanes, J. W. (2007). Handling and preservation of fruits and vegetables by combined methods for rural areas: FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin 149, Technical Manualpp 98.
Boyette, M. D., Ritchie,D. F., Carballo, S. J., Blankenship, S. M. and Sanders, D. C. (2000). Chlorination. North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.https://www.Baencsu.edu/extension/ext-publications/ag-operations/postharvest/ag-414-6-hlorinationdisease-control.pdf
Swiader, J., and Ware, G. (2002). Producing Vegetable crops (5thed.). Interstate Publishers, Inc. Danville, IL.
Wien H.C. (1997). The Physiology of Vegetable Crops. CAB International, Wallingford, UK, New York.