Reduction Of Post-harvest Losses Research Articles

Maize seeds storage systems and post-harvest losses in Benin: diversity, efficiency, storage insects, and implications for better products conservation

Background: Storage pests cause extensive damages to stored products and are responsible for huge post-harvest losses affecting the quality, quantity, and germination potential of stored grains and seeds. This study aimed to investigate the variability of traditional methods of storage and conservation of maize seeds practiced by farmers to propose alternative measures for a significant reduction of post-harvest losses of seeds. Methods : Using participatory research approaches, we surveyed farmers from 21 randomly selected villages in 5 districts in southern Benin. Data were collected on the storage structures of the 3 certified and most produced maize seeds varieties. The forms under which maize seeds are stored, as well as the damage caused by the major storage insects, were determined. Results: Results showed that most farmers store maize seeds in the form of grains and spathe. Following the laboratory observation of the three maize varieties studied, the DMR / QPM variety produced only in the district of Zagnanado has a low abundance of storage insects and a low rate of post-harvest losses. Sitophilus zeamais is the most abundant pest of the three maize seed varieties followed by Prostephanus truncatus. The variety 2000 SYN EE was the most attacked by storage insects. The most promising post-harvest agricultural practice is the storage of maize with spathe saved in jute bags, in granaries or cribs. Conclusions: Storage insects contribute to the depreciation of the quality of grains, loss of grain and reduction of their germinability in stock. Improving farmers' awareness of these post-harvest practices could help to reduce the damage of storage insects.

Recent Advancement in Postharvest Loss Mitigation and Quality Management of Fruits and Vegetables Using Machine Learning Frameworks

Agriculture is an important component of the concept of sustainable development. Given the projected population growth, sustainable agriculture must accomplish food security while also being economically viable, socially responsible, and having the least possible impact on biodiversity and natural ecosystems. Deep learning has shown to be a sophisticated approach for big data analysis, with several successful cases in image processing, object identification, and other domains. It has lately been applied in food science and engineering. Among the issues and concerns addressed by these systems were food recognition; quality detection of fruits, vegetables, meat, and aquatic items; food supply chain; and food contamination. In precision agriculture, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a commonly used technology for estimating food quality. It is especially important when evaluating crops at different phases of harvest and postharvest. Crop disease and damage detection is a high-priority activity because some postharvest diseases or damages, such as decay, can destroy crops and produce poisons that are toxic to humans. In this paper, we use Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs)-based U-Net, DeepLab, and Mask R-CNN models to detect and predict postharvest deterioration zones in stored apple fruits. Our approach is unique in that it segmented and predicted postharvest decay and nondecay zones in fruits separately. This review will focus on postharvest physiology and management of fruits and vegetables, including harvesting, handling, packing, storage, and hygiene, to reduce postharvest loss (PHL) and improve crop quality. It will also cover postharvest handling under extreme weather conditions and potential impacts of climate change on vegetable postharvest and postharvest biotechnology on PHL.

Development and optimization of cactus pear fruit jelly supplemented with Moringa oleifera leaf extract

Cactus pear fruit and Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam) are nutritionally abundant food sources. This study was conducted to evaluate the potential of cactus pear fruit for jelly development with the supplementation of M. oleifera leaves extract as means of postharvest loss, food insecurity and malnutrition reduction. D-optimal mixture design in Minitab Version 16 Statistical Software was used to generate ten experimental runs (formulations for jelly development) using 60–80% cactus fruit juice (CFJ), 0–20% M. oleifera extract (MOE), and 20–40% table sugar (TS). The developed jellies were analyzed for proximate composition, mineral content (Fe, Ca and Zn) and sensory evaluation. Nutritional and sensorial optimization was carried through a graphical approach using a D-optimal mixture design. The results indicated a significant difference in protein, fat, fibre, ash, carbohydrate, energy, iron, calcium, zinc, appearance, aroma, and taste amongst the formulated jellies (p < 0.05). In contrast, the significant difference was not observed in mouth feel and overall acceptability amongst the jellies. The overall optimum nutritional and sensorial attributes of the jelly were found in a range of CFJ (70–73%), MOE (3–14%) and TS (20–26%). However, developing jelly with the formulation of CFJ (68 %), MOE (12%) and TS (20%) was predicted to give the highest nutritional value and sensory acceptability score. The optimized result indicated the jelly would contain 3.97% protein, 0.92% fat, 1.09% fiber, 1.19% ash, 62.95% carbohydrate, 275.97 kcal/100 ​g energy, 98.45 mg/100 ​g calcium, 0.25 mg/100 ​g zinc, 7.43 mg/100 ​g iron and overall sensory acceptability score of 4.38 in five-point hedonic scale.

Willingness to use ice-fish box by fresh fish value-chain actors in Lagos State, Nigeria

A fish preservation technology was developed in the year 2016 by Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute, (NSPRI) in a well-insulated container known as “NSPRI Ice-Fish Box” (NSPRI-IFB). The technology was disseminated to fresh fish value-chain actors (farmers, marketers, processors and transporters) in selected coastal local government areas of Lagos State namely Lagos Mainland, Epe, Badagry and Ikorodu which housed Asejere, Epe, Badagry and Ijede fish markets respectively in 2019. The study was conducted in these markets to ascertain the awareness status and determine the willingness of these actors to use NSPRI-IFB. Data were randomly collected from 110 respondents selected through a simple random sampling procedure using questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square statistical tool. Excellent numbers of actors (81.82%) are well aware of NSPRI-IFB while 27.27% of them declare they are not aware. Results further shows that actors are very willing to use NSPRI-IFB for fresh fish preservation (x̄ = 3.87) and transportation (x̄ = 3.81). However, they are not at all willing to use the technology for fish processing (x̄ = 1.67) and curing (x̄ = 1.73). Chi-square analysis reveals significant associations (p≤0.05) between willingness to use NSPRI-IFB and actors’ age and level of education. Conclusively, value-chain actors are well aware and are willing to use the technology. Fresh fish postharvest loss reduction policy should be directed towards mass adoption of NSPRI-IFB.

Effect of Wrapping Materials and Maturity Stages on Postharvest Loss Reduction of Papaya

Papaya fruits are vulnerable to high postharvest losses if harvesting and handling techniques are inappropriate. Therefore, an experiment was conducted in two consecutive years, 2019 and 2020, to assess the effects of wrapping materials and maturity stages on postharvest loss reduction of papaya stored at ambient condition. A factorial combination of four wrapping materials (brown paper, white paper, fiber bag, and control) and three maturity stages (MS2; few yellow streaks from base to stalk end of fruits, MS3; 1/2 ripe, and MS4; 3/4 ripe), using a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications was used to carry out this experiment. The papaya fruits were evaluated for transportation weight loss, bruised fruit percent, physiological weight loss, decay percent, total soluble solids, firmness, and shelf life. The result revealed that wrapping materials significantly affected on the transportation weight loss, percent bruised fruit, decay percent, and shelf life. The stage of maturity had a significant effect on TSS and firmness of the fruit. However, the interaction of wrapping materials and maturity stages had a non-significant effect on all the parameters. Out of the four wrapping materials, brown paper wrapped fruits had the lowest bruised fruit (4.1%), the lowest decay (10.8%), and the highest shelf life (11.8 days), while MS2 showed the minimum bruised fruit (15.1%), decay (21.2%), and shelf life (12.8 days). Fruit harvested at MS2 wrapped with brown paper can reduce postharvest loss and improve shelf life of papaya.

Traceability and Quality Monitoring Improvement Throughout Carrot Supply Chain With The Implementation of Internet-Of-Things

Karo Highlands in North Sumatra, Indonesia, provides for a significant portion of horticultural products for domestic and overseas markets. Carrot suffers up to 50% postharvest loss throughout the supply chain. Poor supply chain management and lack of quality monitoring limits competitiveness and aggravates postharvest loss. Non-destructive techniques integrated with Internet-of-Things (IoT) is essential in the modern food supply chain. Implementing these technologies needs to be strategic to achieve benefits without increasing the supply chain’s burden. The study aims to identify the carrot supply chain's situation, design the IoT-based mechanism for traceability and quality monitoring based on the critical points where the postharvest loss occurs in the supply chain, and determine and calculate influential variables formulation of the proposed mechanism regarding resources limitations. The study designs a business process for the IoT architecture implementation and utilizes Goal Programming to evaluate and optimize the performance of the IoT architecture into the supply chain. The implementation design involves farmers, suppliers, and exporting firms to operate the measurement and monitoring devices and accessible information for stakeholders. A minimum set of IoT devices was determined for a particular minimum product flow and required minimum information flow to achieve the optimum postharvest loss reduction.

Controlled Atmosphere Storage Alleviates Hass Avocado Black Spot Disorder

As it was previously reported, black spot development in the skin of Hass avocado has been related to a decreased antioxidant defense system. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different postharvest storage conditions on controlling black spot development targeting their effect on the antioxidant system (non-enzymatic and enzymatic) of the skin. Four postharvest treatments (T1: regular air storage (RA) at 5 °C for 40 d; T2: controlled atmosphere storage (CA) of 4 kPa O2 and 6 kPa CO2 at 5 °C for 40 d; T3: 10 d RA + 30 d CA and T4: 5 µM methyl jasmonate (MeJA) for 30 s + 10 RA + 30 d CA) were tested on controlling black spot incidence in fruit from six orchards from different agroclimatic zones and harvests. Then, on two selected orchards and harvests, the evolution of total phenolics (TPC), antioxidant capacity (AC) and antioxidant enzymes (catalase (CAT), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL)) was monitored. Results revealed that incidence of black spot disorder was not associated to an agroclimatic zone and harvest stage. Immediate application of CA (T2) controlled black spot development during prolonged storage (40 d) and under these conditions TPC content remained higher compared to the other treatments. No clear role of CAT, PPO, SOD, POD and PAL on controlling black spot was observed. The results obtained are of value for the Hass avocado supply chain since a clear performance of CA was evidenced that will result in reduction of postharvest losses associated to this problem.

English

Most drying equipment required constant electricity, which is rarely available in Sub-Saharan African countries for local farmers. In order to reduce postharvest loss, it is important to develop and use alternative equipment that is cheap and does not require electricity. The aim of this study was to compare the charcoal kiln oven and microwave oven on the drying characteristics of tomato and yam slices, as well as the effects of these different drying techniques on the chemical parameters of tomato and yam slices. The experiment was laid out based on a completely randomized design. In the charcoal kiln, the final moisture content of dried tomato and yam slices was 16.20 and 5.70%, while in the microwave it was 12.25 and 6.60%. These differences were significant (p&lt;0.05). The ash content was higher in microwave-dried tomatoes (1.35%) and kiln-dried yams (3.15%) slices. The protein and carbohydrate contents of kiln-dried tomato slices were significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher than microwave-dried ones, but microwave-dried yam slices were significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher than kiln-dried yam slices. The potassium and iron contents of kiln-dried yam slices were significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher than microwave-dried samples. The heat transfer in microwave-dried tomato and yam slices was significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher than in kiln-dried ones. The charcoal kiln oven was better at drying yam than tomato. Local farmers could benefit from charcoal kiln dryers for the drying process since they do not require power supply. &nbsp; Key words: Drying, microwave, kiln, tomato, yam.

Improving Postharvest Quality of Sweet Cherry Fruit by Using Tragacanth and Eremurus

ABSTRACT Reducing post-harvest losses and increasing the shelf life of agricultural products leads to reduced production costs. Edible coatings are used to improve fruit quality and increase the shelf-life of horticultural commodities. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the possible effect of edible coatings, including tragacanth gum (TG), Eremurus extract (EE) and tragacanth+Eremurus at 0, 7.5, 10, and 12.5 g L−1, on the fruit quality of ‘Takdaneh Mashhad’ sweet cherry cultivar. Fruits were immersed in the treatment solutions for 3 min and air dried. Then after weighing and labeling, they were collected in fruit baskets and transferred to a cold storage at 0 ± 1°C and 85 to 90% relative humidity. These fruits were taken out of the cold storage at the beginning of the experiment and after 15, 30, and 45 days for measuring fruit weight loss, fruit firmness, soluble solids content (SSC), pH, titratable acidity, total phenolic content, polyphenol oxidase enzyme activity, vitamin C, fruit-edible quality, fruit color, and decay index. According to the results, fruits coated with 12.5 g L−1 TG and also 12.5 g L−1 EE coatings individually showed reduction in weight loss compared to the control treatment. These two treatments increased the qualitative appearance of the fruit such as fruit firmness, color and vitamin C compared to the control fruits. All coating treatments reduced decay index. The present study was the first study to investigate the effect of Eremurus alone or in combination with tragacanth gum on the physicochemical properties of sweet cherry fruit.

USE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF NIGERIAN STORED PRODUCTS RESEARCH INSTITUTE DISSEMINATED TECHNOLOGIES AMONG FARMERS IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

Reducing post-harvest losses (PHL) offers a more cost-effective and environmentally sustainable way to promote food and nutrition safety than focusing solely on increased productivity. This study assessed the use and effectiveness of NSPRI disseminated storage technologies among grain crop farmers. Specifically, it identified the NSPRI storage technologies available to grain crops farmers; examined the availability of the NSPRI technologies; examined the extent of use of the technologies; assessed farmers’ perception of the effectiveness of the technologies; and identified constraints to the use of the technologies. A two-stage random sampling procedure was used to select 130 farmers on whom questionnaire was administered. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics, multiple regression and Pearson’s product moment correlation. The extent of use of storage technologies was low (MS = 1.16) though farmers used fumigant most (MS = 1.55). The farmers perceived that NSPRI dust was the most effective among the disseminated technologies. Availability (MS = 2.68) and lack of technical know-how (MS = 2.66) were the major constraints to the use of the technologies. At P&lt;0.01, age (β = -0.004), household size (β=-0.019), years of education (β = 0.186) and frequency of contact with extension agents (β = 0.330) were the socio-economic determinants of the use of the technologies. Availability, and type of grain cultivated also influenced the use and type of technology used. The study concluded that the use and effectiveness of the disseminated NSPRI technologies among grain crop farmers was low. Availability was identified as the major constraint to the use of the technologies. It was recommended that the technologies should be made available at open markets or through extension agents at affordable costs for easy accessibility by the farmers.

Willingness To Use Ice-Fish Box by Fresh Fish Value-Chain Actors in Lagos State, Nigeria

A fish preservation technology was developed in the year 2016 by Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute, (NSPRI) in a well-insulated container known as “NSPRI Ice-Fish Box” (NSPRI-IFB). The technology was disseminated to fresh fish value-chain actors (farmers, marketers, processors and transporters) in selected coastal local government areas of Lagos State namely Lagos Mainland, Epe, Badagry and Ikorodu which housed Asejere, Epe, Badagry and Ijede fish markets respectively in 2019. The study was conducted in these markets to ascertain the awareness status and determine the willingness of these actors to use NSPRI-IFB. Data were randomly collected from 110 respondents selected through a simple random sampling procedure using questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square statistical tool. Excellent numbers of actors (81.82%) are well aware of NSPRI-IFB while 27.27% of them declare they are not aware. Results further shows that actors are very willing to use NSPRI-IFB for fresh fish preservation (x̅ = 3.87) and transportation (x̅ = 3.81). However, they are not at all willing to use the technology for fish processing ( x̅= 1.67) and curing ( x̅= 1.73). Chi-square analysis reveals significant associations (p≤0.05) between willingness to use NSPRI-IFB and actors’ age and level of education. Conclusively, value-chain actors are well aware and are willing to use the technology. Fresh fish postharvest loss reduction policy should be directed towards mass adoption of NSPRI-IFB.

Processors' Experience in the Use of Flash Dryer for Cassava-derived Products in Nigeria

This study was designed and carried out to ascertain the situation and perceptions of end users of cassava flash drying equipment in Nigeria with the aim of giving suggestions to policies and approaches for improved technology. Forty-one processing firms were selected and interviewed. Descriptive analyses were used and a logistic regression model was estimated. The results revealed that 49% of the firms stopped using their flash dryers due to the low demand for high-quality cassava flour (HQCF) resulting from the high cost of processing occasioned by an inefficient heat-generating component. The estimated model provides evidence that cost effectiveness (p &amp;lt; 0.05) and energy cost (p &amp;lt; 0.10) are the two major determinants of the continuous usage of flash dryers in the study area. Forty-one percent of the firms indicated willingness to pay for any technical adjustment of their flash dryers, supposing such adjustment would improve on drying and the energy efficiency of the equipment up to 40%. The study recommends that machine fabricators in Nigeria and other African countries should be trained on the production of energy- and cost-efficient small-scale flash dryers. Again, the design and commercialization of flash dryers that can be mounted on mobile trucks for farm-gate processing should be encouraged to facilitate farm-gate processing, thereby reducing postharvest losses resulting from transporting perishable and bulky roots over a long distance.

Grain Hermetic Storage and Post-Harvest Loss Reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa: Effects on Grain Damage, Weight Loss, Germination, Insect Infestation, and Mold and Mycotoxin Contamination

Grain Hermetic Storage and Post-Harvest Loss Reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa: Effects on Grain Damage, Weight Loss, Germination, Insect Infestation, and Mold and Mycotoxin Contamination

Effect of Storage Temperature on Selected Bioactive Component of Fresh Bombay Red Onion Bulb (Allium Cepa L.)

In this study the effect of different storage temperature on bioactive components Bombay red onion. Onion (Allium cepa L.) is a major commercial vegetable crop grown in almost all parts of the world. In Ethiopian the postharvest loss of onion bulb crop was estimated to be 50% during the production season. So to reduce postharvest loss of onion bulb, determining and employing appropriate storage conditions play an important role. Appropriate storage condition reduces the physiological quality which intern reduces the physicochemical and physicochemical properties of onion. In this study physicochemical and physicochemical properties of onion bulb were investigated under different storage temperature. Onion bulbs were stored at five different storage temperatures the following quality attributes of onion bulb like glucosidase content, pyruvic acid, flavonoid, dry matter and sugar content were determined for storage period of six months. Quality deterioration of onion bulb was higher at storage temperature of 25oC while storage temperature 5oC was found an ideal condition with keeping the quality of onion bulb acceptable. In all the three storage temperatures pyruvic acid, glucosidase and sugar content show irregular pattern. Bombay red onion bulb was stored for six months without significant change of quality attributes of onion bulb at storage temperature of 5oC.

Assessment of Mango Post-Harvest Losses along Value Chain in the Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia

ABSTRACT Even though the Gamo zone is a prevalent mango producing area in Ethiopia, the lack of comprehensive post-harvest loss research along the mango value chain prevents respective stakeholders from recognizing the socioeconomic, nutritional and environmental significance of the post-harvest loss problem. Improving the post-harvesting handling practice not only increases the production by reduction of post-harvest loss but also increases food access at the market level with prices adjustment. Therefore, this study was intended to assess the post-harvest loss along the mango value chain and the challenges that actors and stakeholders face in the process. To do this, 120 mango producers were selected following a multistage sampling procedure. The analysis result shows that the main reasons for the low productivity of mango are the use of the local variety, disease and insect pests and lack of improved harvesting technologies. The result also shows about 41% of mango loss in the study area was due to a lack of improved harvesting mechanism and infection by disease and pests and poor transportation mechanisms. From this loss, the harvesting stage shares the largest share (18%) along the mango value chain. In addition, lack of improved mango varieties, lack of cooperative and wholesale marketing and lack of value addition practice are the major identified problems in the study area. There is also a huge loss of mango production in the study area that needs immediate intervention from respective stakeholders. Thus, dissemination of improved varieties through the distribution of seedlings, modifying the existing harvesting materials and introduction of improved harvesting technologies, strengthening the cooperative marketing and supporting alternative products development through processing was suggested.

Critical stages for post-harvest losses and nutrition outcomes in the value chains of bush beans and nightshade in Uganda

The reduction of post-harvest losses (PHLs) has been identified as a key pathway to food and nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa. However, despite policy prioritisation, knowledge about the severity of PHLs remains scant, especially when it comes to nutrient-dense crops such as African nightshade and bush beans. Therefore, this paper identifies loss hotspots, causes and effects throughout the value chains of nightshade and bush beans in eastern Uganda. Primary data collected following the Informal Food Loss Assessment Method, combined with small-scale load tracking and secondary data, allows for an analysis of physical, economic, quality, and nutritional losses throughout the value chains of both crops. Results show that in the bush bean value chain, severe physical and quality losses occur during post-harvest handling by farmers, leading to high economic losses at this stage of the chain. Nutritional losses are not expected to be significant in the bush bean value chain. By contrast, due to the shortness of the nightshade value chain, where produce is moved from harvest to consumption within one or two days, physical losses in most parts of the chain are relatively minor. Only at consumption stage, high physical losses occur. This is also the stage where economic losses and potential nutritional losses are most pronounced. The results of this study offer a deeper understanding of the value chain dynamics of bush beans and nightshade, including underlying gender relations, and identify concrete loss hotspots, upon which further research and practical interventions can build.

Green synthesized nanomaterials as an alternative to restricted chemicals in postharvest preservation of horticultural crops: a review

Synthetic chemicals have been successfully used to control economic postharvest pathogens such as Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium spp., Rhizopus spp., etc., thus reducing postharvest losses. However, their active ingredient and co-formulants have resulted in their use being restricted internationally due to health concerns and consumers’ requests for safe and natural alternatives. As an alternative to chemicals, green synthesized nanomaterials incorporated with edible coatings in a polymer matrix have been successfully applied on horticultural crops to improve their shelf-life Due to their known antimicrobial activities, plant extracts and nanoparticles such as silver and zinc oxide have been successfully used in food processing applications. Green sources are used as stabilizer and reducing agents to synthesize shape and sizecontrolled metal and metal oxide nanoparticles. Thus, eco-friendly nanoparticles are produced without using toxic materials and are cost-effective. Edible coatings form a thin layer that prevents oxidation, maintains the product quality, can be safely eaten as part of the product, and does not add unfavourable properties. Studies showed that edible coatings with or without green nanomaterials have been successfully used to control postharvest losses and improve the shelf-life of fruit crops such as plums, raspberries, etc.

POST-HARVEST COMMODITY PROFILE OF COLE CROPS: A REVIEW

Cole crops are cool-season vegetables that are rich in minerals and vitamins. Post-harvest loss in the different commodities including cole crops is due to inappropriate handling, harvesting, lack of storage, transportation, and other preservation technology. The study for the topic “Post-Harvest Commodity Profile of Cole crops” is based on secondary data where relevant information is collected from different published articles, books, journals, documents, and other relevant publications. Under topic-wise discussion, maturity indices, harvesting methods, pre-cooling, transportation, storage technique, different packaging practices with value addition technologies, and marketing of cole crops are studied. The adoption of appropriate post-harvest management practices like harvesting at the right stage, and with the appropriate methods, proper field level cleaning, sorting, grading, proper packaging, and transportation contributes to the reduction of post-harvest loss under smart marketing.

Factors Influencing Adoption of Postharvest Loss Reduction Practices Along the Mango Value Chain in Embu and Machakos Counties of Kenya

Factors Influencing Adoption of Postharvest Loss Reduction Practices Along the Mango Value Chain in Embu and Machakos Counties of Kenya

Dizajn i razvoj mašine sa motorom sa više operacija za ceđenje sokova od korena đumbira (Zingiber officinale roscoe)

Manual ginger juice expression processes are tedious, unhygienic, and inefficient, affecting the quality and quantity of ginger juice extracted. Extraction by chemical means is complex, expensive, and requires high skill to operate. The developed motorized ginger juice expression machine performs two distinct unit operations: size reduction and separation processes. Major components of the machine include the feeding unit, pulverizing unit, juice expression unit, juice drainage point, waste outlet, frame, and power transmission system. The machine is powered by 2 H.P., 1400 rpm and 1 H.P., 1430 rpm prime movers, and the V-belts and pulley assembly speed are 646 rpm and 240 rpm, respectively. The developed expression machine offers an affordable and simple method of processing fresh ginger minimizing loss in ginger rhizome quantity and quality, and ultimately reducing postharvest losses.