ABSTRACT
Horticultural products are high value crops which not only provide protective food but also are a significant source of income by providing opportunities to use them in mushroom cultivation, floriculture, vegetable seed production, etc. Fruits and vegetables are very highly perishable to very low perishable depending on the nature of crops. In general, postharvest loss in fruits and vegetables ranges from 15% to 50%, depending on produce from harvest to consumer table. The postharvest losses in these produce are not only in quantity and quality but also include the appearance of produce, which affects their market value. These losses lead to a huge waste of seeds and planting materials, land, fertilizers, water, energy, labour and other productive resources. It is a general assumption that postharvest losses occur more frequently in fruits and vegetables as compared to cereals, oilseed and pulse crops due to having high moisture content, voluminous and heavy weight and high respiratory rate of living tissues. There are two main factors: primary factors and secondary factors. Primary factors such as mechanical injuries, biological factors, chemical factors, biochemical reaction, microbial action (fungi and bacteria), physiological reactions, psychological factors and environmental factors are mainly responsible for losses in fruits and vegetables, while secondary factors such as improper handling during harvesting and transportation, use of poor-quality packaging, postharvest handling of produce at high temperatures and delays in marketing or primary factors to cause a high level of postharvest losses in horticultural produce.
