ABSTRACT
During the years that have passed since the publication of the first edition of this book, noticeable developments have taken place in the research of plant-water relations, including the processes occurring in harvested organs. Approaches of molecular biology have been extended to this sphere and have shed new light on the mechanisms of water transport in plant cells (Chrispeels and Maurel, 1994) and on the molecular basis of water stress adaptation (Bray, 1993; Zhu et al., 1997). The reevaluation of universal thermodynamic concepts of water status is discussed in food science (Chirife and Buera, 1996; Slade and Levine, 1991). In the applied sphere, new approaches to controlledhumidity storage, such as different versions of active packaging, have emerged (BenYehoshua et al., 1995; Rooney, 1995; Shirazi and Cameron, 1992). These new developments in understanding postharvest water relations have not yet been adequately reviewed, with the exception of the specific subject of cut flowers, which was comprehensively surveyed recently by Van Doorn (1997). Certain aspects of the modern state of the art in postharvest water relations of fruits and vegetables have been discussed in relatively brief but informative and stimulating reviews by Woods (1990), Patterson et al. (1993), and Joyce and Patterson (1994). Several books on the postharvest handling and physiology of agricultural commodities also deal with this subject, among others (Hardenburg et al., 1986; Kader, 1992; Kays, 1991; Wills et al., 1998). Notable in this area is Burton’s (1982) work, which thoroughly reviewed the data inventory and contributed much to it. This chapter attempts to cover the topic of water status in harvested commodities with an emphasis on postharvest water loss and its control, with special attention to recent developments in this field.
