ABSTRACT
Brassicas or crucifers are one of the most important horticultural crops in the world, providing the greatest diversity of products as leafy vegetables, inflorescences, root crops, and seed crops. The postharvest quality of vegetables depends on both pre-harvest factors involved in their development and the physiological state of the crop at harvest. Disorders are symptoms of disturbances in the normal metabolism of vegetables, while physical injuries are symptoms of damage by mechanical forces, chemicals, or freezing. Deficiency or excess of certain elements causes a nutrient imbalance, which can lead to the visualization of physiological disorders. Many vegetables, fruits, and ornamentals are sensitive to low temperatures, developing chilling injury when stored below the optimum temperature of storage. Pre-harvest nutrition plays a very important role in the postharvest quality and shelf life of vegetables. Calcium (Ca) and boron (B) significantly contribute to the stabilization of the integrity of cell walls through binding to pectic polysaccharides.
