ABSTRACT
150The rapid rate of ripening of fruit and senescence of leaf or flower due to the plant hormone ethylene has direct implications on their physiology, shelf-life, storability, postharvest losses, and management practices. The world over, on an average, one-third of edible produce are lost after their harvest. Nonaccessibility and nonavailability of cost-effective, safe, and simple methods/technologies for delaying ripening and senescence of horticultural produce lead to problems related to their storage, quality deterioration, distribution, marketing, price fluctuation, and finally low net returns to the producers/farmers. In this way, postharvest losses include quantitative as well as qualitative losses. All these in turn affect the consumption, nutritional status, and processing aspects of these commodities. Among the various options, inhibition of ethylene action is considered as the most effective way of delaying processes such as ripening and senescence. In this direction, the discovery and development of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), the most effective inhibitor of ethylene action, has become very important. Lot of work has been done on the effects of 1-MCP on plants and plant produce at the basic as well as applied levels. This chapter narrates and examines the developments in this area with an aim to provide 151updated, technical information and guidelines for the effective use of 1-MCP technology. The chapter discusses the overall scope and prospects of 1-MCP technology in postharvest management. Further, it highlights some of the less touched upon but important issues that are related to the health and safety of the environment and ecosystem. The chapter takes notice of various issues and safety concerns that have now become evident from some of the very widely used and well-established agrochemicals. All such and related aspects are also needed to be looked into for 1-MCP as well. This will thereby ensure the best out of 1-MCP technology as 1-MCP and its various formulations are entering into the food chain and supply system on a large scale and that too with a commercial angle.
