Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies 2018; 6(6): 16-18

ISSN (E): 2320-3862

ISSN (P): 2394-0530 Factors affecting of fruits, vegetables and its
NAAS Rating: 3.53
JMPS 2018; 6(6): 16-18
© 2018 JMPS
quality
Received: 06-09-2018
Accepted: 08-10-2018
Md. Ramjan and Mohd Talha Ansari
Md. Ramjan
College of Horticulture and Abstract
Forestry, Central Agricultural Fruits and vegetables are very important food commodities not only in India but all over the world. Fresh
University, Pasighat,
fruits and vegetables are perishable and highly prone to these losses because they are composed of living
Arunachal Pradesh, India
tissues. These tissues must be kept alive and health throughout the process of marketing. These are
Mohd Talha Ansari composed of thousands of living cells which require care and maintenance. There are many factors
College of Horticulture and involved in selecting in fruits and vegetables varieties for processing. Although high visual quality is
Forestry, Central Agricultural desirable for most processing methods, the composition of fruit in relation to flavors, texture, color and
University, Pasighat, nutritional value is of paramount importance. In addition, these quality should be impaired as little as
Arunachal Pradesh, India possible during the specified process, e.g., some vegetable cannot dehydrated or frozen because of their
chemical composition or physical structure. Some kind have a bitter taste when dried, others loose color
and flavor.

Keywords: Factors, affecting, Fruits, Vegetables and Quality

1. Introduction
Not all varieties of fruits and vegetables are satisfactory for processing. There are many factors
involved in selecting in fruits and vegetables varieties for processing. Although high visual
quality is desirable for most processing methods, the composition of fruit in relation to flavors,
texture, color and nutritional value is of paramount importance. In addition, these quality
should be impaired as little as possible during the specified process, e.g., some vegetable
cannot dehydrated or frozen because of their chemical composition or physical structure. Some
kind have a bitter taste when dried, others loose color and flavor. Varieties suitable for
processing must have satisfactory quality both at harvest time and after storage at low
temperatures. The factors affecting quality of fruits and vegetables can be classified largely in
to two groups, i.e. (a) Pre-harvest factors, and (b) Harvest factors (c) Post-harvest factors.

1.1 PRE-Harvest Factors: classified in to environmental factors and cultural factors.

Table 1: Environmental factors

Sl. Environmental
Quality affected
No. factors
High temperature affects maturity, color, sugar, acidity, etc. reduce the quality for
e.g. in citrus, reddish, spinach cauliflower etc. and increased the quality in grapes,
1 Temperature
melons tomato etc. Low temperature cause chilling and freezing injury which
reduced the quality.
Essential for anthocynin formation. Exposed fruit to sun light develop lighter
weight, thinner peel, lower juice and acids and higher TSS than shaded fruits, e.g.
citrus mango etc. exposed of potato to light causes greening (solanine formation)
2 Light
which has toxic properties. High sun light intensity cause sun scaled in citrus and
tomato and reduce the poor white color in cauliflower. Low light intensity cause
thin and large leaves in leafy vegetables
Causes cracking in grapes, dates, litchi, limes, lemon, tomato, sweet potato etc. It
3 Rains
Correspondence reduces appearance and sweetness.
Md. Ramjan Causes brushing, scratching and corky scar (citrus fruits) the fruit and damage leafy
4 Winds
College of Horticulture and vegetables.
Forestry, Central Agricultural High humidity reduces the color and TSS and increases acidity in citrus, grapes,
University, Pasighat, 5 Humidity
tomato, etc. but it is needed for better quality of banana, litchi, and pineapple.
Arunachal Pradesh, India Sources: (Srivastava, 2002) [3]
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Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies
Table 2: Cultural factors
Sl. No. Cultural factors Quality affected
1. Mineral nutrition
High N reduces ascorbic acid content; TSS/acid and keeping quality but increase thiamine, riboflavin carotene
(I) Nitrogen
e.g. citrus and spinach its deficiency reduce size of fruits.
High phosphorus decrease in size, weight and vit. C in various fruits its deficiency cause poor appearance of fruit
(ii) Phosphorus
such as citrus fruits.
(iii) Potassium Increase size weight vitamin C and sugars. Its deficiency cause uneven ripening.
Increase firmness of many fruits e.g. apple, mango, guava, tomato etc. and check physiological disorders in many
(iv) Calcium
fruits
(V) Magnesium Increase size, weight and vitamin C in citrus.
(Vi) Zinc Deficiency causes straggled cluster in grape.
Flesh browning (e.g. aonla) and gummy discoloration of albedo in citrus. Fruits and vegetables become
(Vii) Boron
misshapen. Cabbage, turnip and cauliflower are sensitive to boron deficiency.
(viii) Copper Deficiency causes irregular blotch on citrus fruits and spoils the appearance
2. Growth Regulators
(i) Auxins Increase size in loquate (2, 4, 5- TP), grapes (IAA), Mandarins (NAA) and TSS in mango (2, 4-D).
Pre-harvest application increase size and weight of grape, apricot, strawberry and fig. causes parthinocarpic in
(ii) Gibberelic acid
and fig guava, grape, tomato etc.
(iii) Cytokinin BA and PBA maintain green color of leafy vegetables.
Ethaphone increase anthocynine in (grapes, plum, apple, chilies and brinjal) Carotenoids (mango, guava, papaya,
(iv) Ethylene citrus, tomato etc.), ascorbic acid and TSS and reduces tannin (dates, grapes etc.) and acidity (grape, mango,
tomato, etc.) per-harvest treatment with ethaphon reduces internal browning of pineapple.
Pre-harvest application of Alar (B9) increase in color in apple, cherry, apricot etc. and MH inhibits sprouting in
(v) Growth retardant
onion bulb. Foliar application of CCC before harvest resulted higher content of total sugars and TSS in banana.
In citrus, troyer and citrange rootstock produce the fruit of excellent quality of oranges, mandarins and lemons.
3. Root stock
In guava Psdium pumilum rootstock increase sugar and Psdium cujavillis ascorbic acid content in fruits.
Excess irrigation cause high acidity and deficiency because moisture reduces fruits size, juice content and
4. Irrigation
increase thickness of peel.
5. Pruning It affects the size, color, acidity, and sugar content in grape, Phlasma, ber, peach, apple etc.
6. Thinning Increase in size, color acidity and sugar content of fruits.
7. Girdling It increase in size, color and sugar in grape berries
8. Bunching covering Pre-harvest bunch covering with plastic bags produced banana fruits of better color and quality.
Varieties differ in size, shape color and chemical composition, productiveness, bright appearance and good
Variety
keeping qualities.
Pre-harvest application of systemic fungicides prevents quiescence like anthracnose of mango, papaya, crown rot
9. Disease/pests of banana stem end rot in citrus, etc. pre-harvest application of chitosan reduced the post-harvest fungal rot and
maintains the keeping quality of strawberry.
Fruits when ripe are of higher quality an account of full size, bright color, sweetness and less acid. In general
10. Maturity vegetables with exception of potato and onion are of higher quality when less matures because of their being
more tender, succulent, less fibrous or starchy.
Fruits and vegetables should be in no injured and damaged otherwise injury will reduced appearance and made
11. Mechanical injury
by source f infection for fungus diseases
Sources: (Singh, 2009) [2]

1.2 Harvest factors mechanical) can be significantly impact up on the

 Maturity at harvest: Maturity at harvest is the most composition and post-harvest quality of fruits and
important determinant of storage life and final produced vegetables. Mechanical injuries (such as brushing, surface
quality. Immature produced are high susceptible to abrasions and cuts) can accelerate loss of water and
shriveling and mechanical damage are of inferior quality. vitamin C resulting in all increased susceptibility to decay-
Hence, fruits and vegetables are harvest at proper stage of causing pathogens. Most fresh fruits and vegetables an all
maturity. Many leafy vegetables and immature fruits- flowers are harvested by hand. Root crops (such as carrot,
vegetables (such as cucumbers, sweet corn, green beans onion, potato and sweet potato) and some commodities
peas and okras), attain optimum eating-quality prior to destined for processing (such as processing tomatoes,
reaching to full maturity. This often results in delayed European plums and tree nut crops) are mechanically
harvest and consequently in producer of low quality. harvested.
 Harvest time: Quality is depends on timing the harvest
correctly for most vegetables. Size, flavor, tenderness, 1.3 Post-Harvest Factors
texture and color can all be influenced by harvest timing.  Washing: Almost all the fruits and vegetables require
snap bean must reach a certain sieve size, summer squash special preparation before they are packed. Vegetables
and cucumbers must be harvested within a narrow size such as root and tuber crops are often washed to remove
range melon must be reach an acceptable sugar content the soils adhering over them. Washing of fruits before
tomatoes to be shipped must be harvested at “mature packing is also very important, especially of those which
green” or as “breaker” but usually no post the “pink have been treated with poisonous chemicals. Besides
stages” tomatoes for direct sales can be harvested when cleanliness, water used for washing improves the
ripe. Cabbage winter squash pumpkin peppers have a appearance of fruits and vegetables and prevents their
wider harvest window. (Selvakumar, 2014) [1] wilting. Many vegetables need to be trimmed before they
 Harvest methods: The methods of harvesting (hand vs. are: ready for the market. Rotten, diseased, insect
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Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies

damaged and discolored leaves of vegetables such as moisture in air. A small temperature difference between
cabbage, spinach, lettuce and several others are trimmed the cooling coil and the stored products is required to
off. Leafy greens such as green onion, spinach and maintain an adequate control of RH in storage room. In
fenugreek are tied in bundles. During washing, the order to increase the RH, water may be sprayed into the
organisms present on the fruits and vegetables are controlled storage chamber.
removed.  Marketing: It is very important that horticultural produce
 Pre-cooling: It is desirable to remove field heat of the reaches the market as soon as it is possible and at a time
harvested vegetables, particularly when harvested during when the market needs it the most. A perfect and efficient
hot weather. This prevents the ripening and ageing of the marketing system is essential to avoid the losses of fruits
produce. Prompt cooling conserves weight which gives an and vegetables, and also to get a good return from the
added advantage during the extended period of storage. In same. Marketing of perishable horticultural products
tomato, for eg. Physiological loss in weight during storage presents more problems compared to other durable
can be reduced from 6 to 2.9 per cent. Vegetables such as agricultural products. It is not efficiently managed in most
artichokes and okra which deteriorate fast, need prompt of the developing countries. The interests of producers as
cooling and their storage losses can be reduced by pre- well as consumers are poorly served, the grower gets less
cooling. Cooling is equally useful in case of fruits. It return and the consumer pays more than what is necessary.
reduces their respiration rate especially, climatic fruits
such as banana, papaya and mango, thereby preventing 2. Conclusion
over-ripening. Sometimes, stages of ripening and the level Post-harvest loss of fruits and vegetables occur due to
of field heat also determine the need of pre-cooling. For improper harvesting, transportation, storage and distribution.
eg. Unless tomato fruits are kept above 26.7°C and Post-harvest life of fruits and vegetables is governed by water
ripening is to be delayed, there is no need for pre-cooling. content, respiratory rate, ethylene production, endogenous
 Grading: Grading is an important practice for successful plant hormones, and exogenous factors such as microbial
marketing of fruits and vegetables. The produce is growth, temperature, relative humidity and atmospheric
generally sorted out into different grades and attractive compositions. The loss can be minimized by adopting
forms to fetch a good price from them. Fruits and necessary cultural operations, careful handling and packaging.
vegetables are graded according to shape, size and color. The use of appropriate chemicals at pre and post-harvest stage
Some fruits and vegetables are graded according to their may extend the availability of fruits and vegetables over a
maturity (okra, cucumber, ridge gourd etc.), ripeness long period by protecting them from microbial as well as
(mango, tomato, etc.) and general appearance as well. In environmental agencies of damage. The fruits and vegetables
sorting the fruits and vegetables, all the characters that can also be stored under controlled atmosphere, modified
influence "their appearance and quality should be atmosphere at low temperature with appropriate chemical
considered. treatment to delay senescence and inhibit microbial decay.
 Packaging: Packaging of fresh fruits and vegetables has a Therefore, steps as already mentioned should be adopted,
great significance in reducing the wastage. Packaging also according to the suitability, and post-harvest loss of fruits and
provides protection from mechanical damage, undesirable vegetables should be kept at minimum.
physiological changes and pathological deterioration
during storage, transportation and marketing. Through 3. References
proper packaging, freshness, succulence and flavours of 1. Selvakumar R. A text book of Glaustus Olericulture. New
fruits and vegetables can be maintained for a longer Vishal Publications. New Delhi, 2014, 961-967.
period. A wide variety of containers such as wooden 2. Singh IS. Post-Harvest Handling and Processing of Fruits
boxes, bamboo baskets, jute bags, earthen pots and and Vegetables. Westvillie Publishing House, New Delhi,
corrugated fibre board boxes are the important packaging 2009, 25-27.
materials used in most of the developing countries 3. Srivastava RP, Kumar S. Fruits and Vegetables
including India. Cheap packaging technique and materials Preservation Principles and Practice. International book
such as polythene films, paper board boxes lined with Distribution Company, Charbagh Lucknow, 2002, 936-
polyethylene and other materials can effectively prolong 939.
the storage- life of fruits and vegetables.
 Transportation: Transportation and distribution of the
fruits and vegetables are the most important areas of post-
harvest loss. In India, the transportation of perishable
commodities is in the most precarious stage. For local
market, the produce is brought either by bullock cart or
tractor trollies. The long distance transportation is mainly
by rails and trucks, which is very costly. The basic reason
for preference to road transportation is because it takes
short transit period.
 Cold storage: In cold store, the temperature control is
very important. An ideal environment condition for fresh
fruits and vegetables in storage is the lowest temperature,
which does not cause chilling injury to the produce. Any
variation from the desired condition is detrimental.
Relative humidity of the store rooms also has a
considerable bearing on the keeping quality of the
horticultural produce. It is very difficult to control the

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