Preserving Fruit Quality: Innovations in Postharvest Storage for Horticultural Plants

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Horticultural Science and Ornamental Plants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 880

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Horticultural Science, Packaging and Cold Chain Research Group, Africa Institute for Postharvest Technology, Faculty of AgriSciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
Interests: cold chain management and packaging of fresh fruits
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Guest Editor
Department of Food Science, AgriFood BioSystems & Technovation Research Group, Africa Institute for Postharvest Technology, Faculty of AgriSciences, Stellenbosch University, 7600, South Africa
Interests: postharvest technology research; food packaging; postharvest physiology; food bioprocessing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fruit quality is essential in horticultural production, affecting flavor, texture, nutritional content, and visual appeal, and effective postharvest handling is crucial for maintaining quality, influencing shelf life, taste, nutritional value, and consumer acceptance. 

Key factors in postharvest storage include temperature, humidity, and atmospheric composition: proper temperature control slows ripening and prevents spoilage, while managing humidity reduces water loss and maintains texture; modified atmospheric storage techniques can enhance fruit longevity by decreasing respiration rates and delaying ripening; and optimizing storage conditions involves managing physiological changes like respiration and ethylene production. Postharvest treatments such as wax coatings and controlled ripening techniques can further improve fruit quality and extend storage life.

We are pleased to announce a Special Issue dedicated to the latest advances in the field of the fruit quality and postharvest storage of horticultural plants. This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research and innovative practices that enhance the quality, safety, and shelf life of horticultural produce. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, controlled atmosphere storage, non-destructive quality assessment techniques, computational modeling, and the impact of various storage conditions on fruit physiology and biochemistry. We invite researchers, practitioners, and industry experts to contribute original research articles, reviews, and case studies that address these critical aspects of postharvest technology. Join us in exploring the future of horticultural science and its role in ensuring sustainable and high-quality food supply chains.

Dr. Alemayehu (Alex) Ambaw
Dr. Oluwafemi James Caleb
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • postharvest technology
  • fruit quality
  • controlled atmosphere storage
  • non-destructive testing
  • computational modeling
  • cold storage
  • shelf life extension
  • horticultural produce
  • quality assessment
  • storage conditions
  • physiological changes
  • biochemical changes
  • innovative storage solutions
  • food safety

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 3551 KiB  
Article
Deciphering the Effect of Postharvest 1-MCP Treatment Coupled with Low-Temperature Storage on the Physiological Activities and Edible Quality of Melon
by Haofei Wang, Zhiyi Yang, Sikandar Amanullah, Huilin Wang, Bin Liu, Shi Liu, Tiantian Yang and Chaonan Wang
Plants 2025, 14(4), 586; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14040586 - 14 Feb 2025
Viewed by 589
Abstract
Fruits are an important source of a healthy diet due to their essential nutrients for daily intake. Melon is known as a significant fruit crop of the Cucurbitaceae family based on its various dietary benefits, but its shelf life needs to be maintained [...] Read more.
Fruits are an important source of a healthy diet due to their essential nutrients for daily intake. Melon is known as a significant fruit crop of the Cucurbitaceae family based on its various dietary benefits, but its shelf life needs to be maintained for long-term usage. 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) is a cyclopropene-derived synthetic plant growth regulator (PGR) that is used for significantly delaying the ripening process and maintaining the shelf life of climacteric fruits during storage. In this study, freshly harvested melon fruits were fumigated with various concentrations (1.0 µL·L−1, 2.0 µL·L−1, and 3.0 µL·L−1) of 1-MCP treatment for 12 h (h) and stored at low temperature (8 ± 1 °C) for 30 days (d). The obtained results showed that 1-MCP fumigation coupled with low-temperature treatment maintains the postharvest shelf life of melon fruit. It was noticed that the increase in color hue (a* (red/green), b* (blue/yellow), L* (lightness)) was slowed down and the external fresh color was effectively maintained. At the same time, the firmness, soluble solids, titratable acids (TAs), and vitamin C (VC) content seemed to be maintained at a high level; weight loss and cell permeability were reduced; respiratory intensity and ethylene emission were inhibited; and the accumulation of superoxide anions and malondialdehyde (MDA) was also reduced. In addition, an upsurge in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) was noticed in melon fruits under the combined treatment of 1-MCP and low-temperature storage as compared with the control group (CK, without treatment), indicating that 1-MCP treatment can effectively enhance the antioxidant metabolism of melon fruits during storage. Overall, we can recommend that the 3.0 µL·L−1 concentration of 1-MCP had the best effect on maintaining the internal and external quality of sweet melon fruit during storage. Full article
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