Module 2:

Postharvest
Losses and
Relative
Perishability
#WeLearnAsOne

BY:
MR. NEMIE REX S.
GUERZON
#OnlineClass2020
PhotoCourtesy: Banaue-MLGU 1
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the module, the student was able to:
Determined the causes of postharvest losses that
would result to a poor farm fresh produce’ quality;
Classified the farm produce in accordance to use or
purpose;
Recognized the importance of storage and shelf-life
of a farm produce ( harvested crops); and
Accounted the duration of perishability and durability
of the produce; and

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 Principal Causes of Postharvest
Losses and Poor Quality
Root vegetables- carrots, yambean, jicama,
yautia, taro beets, onions, garlic, potato, sweet
potato
= mechanical injuries, improper curing,
sprouting and rooting, water losses (shriveling),
decay, chilling injury.

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 Principal Causes of Postharvest
Losses and Poor Quality
Leaf vegetables-lettuce, spinach, horse radish,
swamp cabbage, cabbage, pechay, green
onions, Chinese cabbage, jute, chayote tops,
sweet potato tops, celery, parsely
= water loss (wilting), loss of green color
(yellowing), mechanical injuries, relatively
high respiration rates, decay

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 Principal Causes of Postharvest
Losses and Poor Quality
Flower vegetables- broccoli, cauliflower,
artichoke = mechanical injuries, yellowing and
other discolorations, abscission of florets, decay,
late harvesting

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 Principal Causes of Postharvest Losses
and Poor Quality
Fruit vegetables- cucumbers, squash,
eggplant, peppers, lady’s finger, pods, tomato,
gourds
= over maturity at harvest, water loss
(shriveling), bruising and other mechanical
injuries, chilling injury, decay

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 Principal Causes of Postharvest Losses and Poor
Quality
Fruits- melons, oranges, lemon, bananas,
pawpaw, mangoes, apples, grapes, and other citrus
= bruising, over-ripeness and excessive softening
at harvest, water loss, chilling injury (chilling
sensitive fruits) compositional changes, decay.

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Principal Causes of Postharvest Losses
and Poor Quality
Rootcrops- yambean, yam, elephant’s ear,
cassava, sweet potato, taro
= bruising, mechanical injuries, sprouting,
shriveling, decay, weevil infestations

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Principal Causes of Postharvest Losses
and Poor Quality
Cereals- rice, wheat, barley, corn, rye, oat,
triticale, sorghum
= germination (for high moisture contented
harvests), fungi infection

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 Relative Perishability and storage life of
fresh produce
Classification of crops according to their relative
perishability and potential storage life in air at near
optimum temperature and relative humidity.
A. Durable crops -long shelf-life and storage life
i.e. cereals and grains, nuts, seeds
B. Perishable crops - short shelf-life and storage
life
 B.1.highly perishable crops –
most fruits, vegetables,
cut flowers
 B.2. semi-durable crops
- root crops, stone fruits,
vegetables
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 Storage life vs. Shelf-life
Shelf-life - the period of time during which a
produce remain useful.
- Intervening period between display
for sale , and end of marketability and functional
purposes of a product/ produce.

Storage life – the longest time for a produce or

product that can be kept in a sound marketable
condition

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 Relative Perishability and storage
life of fresh produce
Relative Potential Commodities
Perishability Storage
life (wks)

Very high <2 Leafy vegetables, most cut flowers, minimally

processed fruits, ripe fruits, ripe fruit
vegetables, sweet corn, spinach, pea,
mushroom, loose leaf lettuce, green onions,
flower vegetables, bean sprouts, asparagus,
strawberry, cherries

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 Relative Perishability and storage life
of fresh produce
Relative Potential Commodities
Perishabi Storage life
lity (wks)
High 2-4 Partially ripe fruits-tomato,
avocado, banana, grapes,
guava, loquat, mandarin,
mango, melons, nectarine,
pawpaw, peach, plum, green
beans, Brussel sprouts,
cabbage, Chinese cabbage,
celery, eggplant, head
lettuce, okra pepper, unripe
squash

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 Relative Perishability and storage life
of fresh produce
Relati Potential Commodities
ve Storage
Perish life (wks)
ability
Moder 4-8 Root vegetables-
ate immature potato,
radish, carrot,
table beets; apple
, grapes (treated
with SO2), citrus-
lime, orange,
grapefruit,
persimmon,
pomegranate. 14
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 Relative Perishability and storage life
of fresh produce
Relative Potential Commodities
Perishabili Storage life
ty (wks)
Low 8-16 Apple and pear (some cultivars),
lemon, matured rootcrops – potato,
dry onion, garlic, sweet potato, taro,
yam, bulbs; winter squash, matured
squash, pumpkins

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 Relative Perishability and storage
life of fresh produce

Relative Potential Commodities

Perishab Storage
ility life
(wks)
Very low >16 Tree nuts, almond, dried fruits,
cereals and grains, seeds

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 References
BAUSTISTA, K.O. (2005). Postharvest Handling
of Southeast Asian Perishables: University
of the Philippines, Los Banos, Laguna

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION, 2016.

Postharvest Technology of Common Farm
Produce: United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland

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 Practicum 1:
Produce short term crops
 In a 5 plots with a dimension of (5m x1m), kindly cultivate a
one (1) short term crop which are commonly vegetables (i.e.
tomato, eggplant, pechay, beans etc.). If backyard is not
available, you may grow your crops into at least 50 pots.
Your crops must be harvested within 3-4 months DAT (Days
After Transplanting) or DAP (Days After Planting) within this
week. Ensure that you may harvest on or before the 2nd
week of December 2020. This will facilitate your future
activities on Fresh Produce Packing & Packaging and
Produce advertising and promotions.
 Backyard gardening is encouraged for you to easily monitor
your crops. You may plant other crops if you wish. If you
wish to plant in pots, recycled materials to be used as
container for planting is accepted.
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 Practicum 1:
Produce short term crops (continuation 1)
 Photo evidence of your practicum this semester must be
sent (via messenger or email) after conducting each
agricultural chores of your backyard garden or potted plants:
Land Preparation
Kindly follow this form/example of
Planting/Transplanting sending your photo evidence:
Fertilizer Application
Water Application/Irrigation
Pest Management (if any)
Harvesting
Packing and Packaging (TBD)
Advertising and Promotion (TBD)

*TBD=To Be Discussed #OnlineClass2020 19

 Practicum 1:
Produce short term crops (continuation 2)
Kindly follow this form/example of sending your photo
evidence:
Example
Note: Photo of the activity
must include the student
doing the task in his/her
backyard or potting container
with growing media.

Name: Juan Dela Cruz Section: DAT-2A

Activity: Potting Media Preparation and
transplanting
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