Post-Harvest Physiology and Crop Preservation

NATO ADVANCED STUDY INSTITUTES SERIES

Aseries of edited volumes comprising multifaceted studies of contem­porary scientific issues by some of the best scientific minds in the world, assembled in cooperation with NATO Scientific Affairs Divi­sion.

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Volume 45 - Structural Molecular Biology: Methods and Applications edited by David B. Davies, Wolfram Saenger, and Steven S. Danyluk

Volume 46-Post-Harvest Physiology and Crop Preservation edited by Morris Lieberman

Volume 47-Targeting of Drugs edited by Gregory Gregoriadis, ludith Senior, and Andre Trouet

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E Applied Sciences

_Post-Harvest Physiology and Crop Preservation

Edited by

Morris Lieberman Late 0/ Beltsville Agricultural Research Center Be/tsville, Maryiand

PLENUM PRESS • NEW YORK AND LONDON Published in cooperation with NATO Scientific Affairs Division

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

NATO Advanced Study Institute on Post-Harvest Physiology and Crop Preservation (1981: Sounion, Greece) Post-harvest physiology and crop preservation.

(NATO advanced study institutes series. Series A, Life sciences; v. 46) "Proceedings of a NATO Advanced Study Institute on Post-Harvest Physiology and

Crop Preservation, held April 28-May 8, 1981, in Sounion, Greece" - T.p. verso. Bibliogrpahy: p. Includes index. I. Food crops - Physiology - Congresses. 2. Food crops - Preservation - Congresses.

I. Lieberman, Morris, 1919- . II. North Atlantic Treaty Organization. III. Title. IV. Series. SB175.N37 1981 631.5'6 82-3645

AACR2 ISBN 978-1-4757-0096-1 ISBN 978-1-4757-0094-7 (eBook) DOl 10.1007/978-1-4757-0094-7

Proceedings of a NATO Advanced Study Institute on Post-Harvest Physiology and Crop Preservation, held April 28-May 8, 1981, in Sounion, Greece

© 1983 Plenum Press, New York Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1983 A Division of Plenum Publishing Corporation 233 Spring Street, New York, N.Y. 10013

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher

To alI those who labored

and labor to preserve crops after harvest for the benefit of mankind

MORRIS LIEBERMAN

Morris Lieberman, the Director of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Post-Harvest Physiology and Crop Preservation, passed away after completing the editing of the manuscripts of the present book. The loss of this great scientist and fine personality is deeply regretted by his colleagues and friends.

Lieberman contributed considerably to the knowledge of post­harvest physiology, particularly to the understanding of the bio­synthetic pathway leading to the hormone that regulates plant organ senescence, ethylene. In the sixties, while working with Mapson at Cambridge, he discovered methionine as a substrate for thissynthesis. It was at the Post-Harvest Plant Physiology Laboratory at Beltsville, which he directed, that rhizobitoxine analogs were found to inhibit the main regulatory enzyme of the pathway, aminocyclopropanecarboxy­lic-acid synthetase. Morris Lieberman died deeply involved in the further analysis of the enzyme systems of this pathway.

Next to his enthusiasm for science, Morris had a vivid interest in many aspects of life and was a very kind and friendly personwith a beautiful sense of humor. Nothwithstanding his sharp insight his judgment was mild. It was a privilege to be among his friends, only few of whom knew that he was so ill that he nearly had to stay away from the Institute that was his very conception and which he had been fostering with such zeal. It gave hirn deep satisfaction to direct the Institute and to edit this volume. We may accept thebook with gratitude and respect as a memorial to a great man.

Johan Bruinsma Co-Director

PREFACE

Emphasis in agricultural research for many years has concen­trated on crop production. This emphasis has become more important in recent years with the realization that the population worldwide is outstripping the food supply. There is, however, another side to increasing the availability of the food supply. This simply involves preservation of the harvested crop·for human consumption. The losses incurred in harvesting, handling, transportation, storage and marketing crops have become a greater problem as the distance from the farm to the ultimate consumer increases. In the Western world where modern transportation, storage facilities, and marketing technology are widely used, post-harvest technology requires a large input of energy which increases costs considerably. There­fore, losses are more significant and the ability to provide fresh fruits and vegetables, out of season, at reasonable costs will depend on reduced post-harvest losses throughout the marketing chain from the farm gate to the ultimate consumer.

The reduction in post-harvest losses depends on proper use of current technology and further developments derived from a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines. Biochemistry, plant physiology, plant pathology, horticulture, agronomy, physics, engineering and agricultural economics, all provide knowledge which has been useful and will be useful in the future for improving post-harvest technol­ogy and crop preservation. This volume records the Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Post-Harvest Physiology and Crop Preservation, held at Sounion, Greece, April 28 - May 8, 1981. Lecturers at the Institute represented all of these scientific areas, providing a broad spectrum view of current basic and practi­cal information which impact on post harvest technology and crop preservation.

Notice was also taken, at the Institute, of the special prob­lems of crop preservation in developing countries wherein conditions are quite different from those in the Western developed world. Quite a different technology is applicable to developing world post­harvest problems. Nevertheless, basic scientific information should still be useful in establishing improvements which prevent losses

ix

x PREFACE

within the context of the primitive systems used. The economics of some of these problems were also discussed in the course of the Institute. Hopefu11y, the information in this vo1ume will provide basic know1edge of current and emerging techno1ogy which will be usefu1 in advancing post-harvest techno1ogy and crop preservation wor1dwide.

The Institute was brought into being through the efforts of many dedicated individua1s. I am especia11y indebted to my Co­Director, Prof. Bruinsma, and the Organizing Committee members: Prof. Bangerth, Prof. Come, Prof. Dekazos, Prof. Di11ey, Dr. Rhodes, and Prof. V1itos. Their inva1uab1e he1p in arranging the program, obtaining financia1 support in their own countries, and se1ecting students made our Institute a success. A special thanks is due Prof. Dekazos and Dr. Karaou1anis, members of the loca1 committee, for se1ecting the site and making all the loca1 arrangements.

In addition to the generous support and sponsorship of NATO, the Institute was co-sponsored by the Science and Education Administration of the U.S. Department of Agricu1ture and the Greek Ministry of Agricu1ture. Financia1 support was also provided by the fo11owing organizations and companies: Air Liquide; BASF AG; Bayer AG; Centre Technique Interprofessionne1 des Fruits et Legunle~; Compagnie des Entreports et Gares Frigorifiques; Duphar; E.I. Dupont de Nemours and Company; Froi1abo; Greek Ministry of Cu1ture and Science; He11enic Organization of Tourism; Hoechst AG; Plenum Press; Societe Francaise de Transports et Entreports Frigorifiques; Tate and Ly1e Ltd; and Ve1sir:01 Chemica1 Corporation. Generous contri­butions by these organizations provided support for additional students and lectürers.

Finally I wish to acknow1edge my sincere appreciation to Delores Sessions who carried the burden of extensive correspondence and other matters re1ated to the Institute and retyped virtua11y all the manuscripts in the required format. I accept fu11 responsibility for all editorial errors, which, despite my efforts, probably exist.

Morris Lieberman Be1tsvi1le, Mary1and October 1981

CONTENTS

I. BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF SENESCENCE

1. The General Biology of Plant Senescence and the Role of Nucleic Acids in Pro tein Turnover in the Control of Senescence Processes which are Genetically Programrned . • . .

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

H. W. Woolhouse

Control of Ribonucleic Acid and Enzyme Synthesis During Fruit Ripening

D. Grierson

Respiration and Energy Metabolism in Senescing Plant Tissues . . . . . . . . . • . . . .

T. Solomos

Enzyme Activities and Post-Harvest Change . • . • . M.J.C. Rhodes

Plant Membrane Lipids: Changes and Alterations During Aging and Senescence . . . . . . .

P. Mazliak

Hormonal Regulation of Senescence, Ageing, Fading and Ripening . . . . . . . . .

J. Bruinsma

11. CHARACTERISTICS OF SENESCENCE IN SPECIAL CROPS

7. Post Harvest Physiology of Seeds as Related to Quality and Germinability • . • .

D. Came

xi

1

45

61

99

123

141

165

xii

8.

9.

Physiology and Storage of Bulbs: Coneepts and Nature of Dormaney in Bulbs • .

M. Le Nard

The Formation of Enzymatie Produets in the Fruits during Growth and Storage

G. Karaoulanis

CONTENTS

191 ,. , . . .

231

111. PATHOLOGICAL ASPECTS - POST-HARVEST

10. Host-Pathogen Interaetions in Postharvest Diseases . . . . . . . . . . • 247

J. W. Eekert and M. Ratnayake

111. Control of Postharvest Diseases with Antimierobial Agents • . . . • . . . . . . . . . • . • . . 265

J. W. Eekert

12. Hydroxyproline - Rieh Glyeoproteins in the Cell Wall of Diseased Plants as a Defense

13.

Meehanism . . . • • . . . . . M. T. Esquerre-Tugaye, D. Mazau, and A. Toppan

Stress Metabolites N. F. Haard

14. Myeotoxins as a Deteriorating Faetor in Stored

287

299

Crops • • • . • • . • . . . • . • . • . . 315 P. Krogh

IV. MANIPULATION OF THE PRE- AND POST-HARVEST ENVIRONMENT TO INFLUENCE QUALITY

15. Hormonal and Chemieal Preharvest Treatments whieh Influenee Postharvest Quality, Maturity and Storeability of'Fruit

F. Bangerth

16. Effeet of Post Harvest Treatments of Growth and Bioregulators on Quality and Longevity of Fruits and Vegetables

E. D. Dekazos

331

355

17. Manipulation of the Postharvest Atmosphere for Preservation of Food Crops • . . . . . . 383

D. R. Dilley

CONTENTS

,18. Metabolism, Heat Transfer and Water Loss under Hypobaric Conditions . . . .

S. P. Burg and R. Kosson

19. Maintaining Nutritional and Processing Quality in Grain Crops During Handling, Storage, and Transportation

P. C. Williams

20. New Post-Harvest Treatments of Horticultural Produce and Developments to Maintain Quality and to Prevent Damage in Western Europe with Special Reference to the Netherlands . . . . • . . . . .

W. S. Duvekot

/21. Postharvest Quality Maintenance of Fruits and Vegetables in Developing Countries . . .

A. A. Kader

22. Instrumental Techniques for Measuring Quality of Agricultural Crops . • . . . . . . .

K.H. Norris

V. POST-HARVEST LOSSES IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD: ECONOMIC ASPECTS

23. Post Harvest Losses in Perishable Foods of the Developing World . . . . . . . .

D. G. Coursey

24. Solving Third World Food Problems: The Role of Post-Harvest Planning . .

M. Greeley

25. Utilization of Agricultural Wastes: Same

xiii

399

425

445

455

471

48"

Global Consideration . • • . . . . . . • . . 537 A. J. Vlitos

VI. PARTICIPANTS 547

VII. INDEX .... 553