Postharvest practices

After harvest, fruits and vegetables need to be handled with care to maintain freshness, nutrient content, taste and quality. Fruits and vegetables are highly perishable, and so poor after harvest handling can result in losses. The field of postharvest practices addresses issues of handling, transportation and temperature control for crops after harvest. Good postharvest handlng is critical to reducing postharvest losses of fresh produce, to maintain quality, preserve nutrient content, and earn higher prices at market.

Horticulture Innovation Lab researchers test the efficacy of postharvest technologies and build capacity among local leaders in postharvest practices. Below are fact sheets, videos, manuals, and other training materials for improving postharvest practices with horticultural crops.

Developing a postharvest alternative to fungicide in Sri Lanka

Led by Robert Paull, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa

This project brings together two parallel research programs for collaboration — one in Sri Lanka using natural coating and herbal extracts and another in Hawaii to use natural epiphytic microo

Sri Lanka

Developing a concentrated solar dryer in Tanzania

Led by Diane Barrett, University of California, Davis

Women carry out most production of horticultural crops in Tanzania and other developing countries. Harvest periods are short but less than 1% of the crop is processed for off-season consumption.

Tanzania

Woman chopping and weighing vegetables in a market in Guatemala

Developing training materials to improve postharvest practices in Honduras and Guatemala

Led by Jeff Brecht, University of Florida

Knowledge of postharvest handling practices necessary to satisfy market requirements limits the success of small-scale producers of horticultural crops to participate in the value chain at various

Honduras, Guatemala

Evaluating cooling and drying technologies in various climates in Tanzania, Ghana, Honduras, Guatemala, Thailand

Led by Lizanne Wheeler, World Food Logistics Organization

This research project is a series of studies comparing cool storage tools and solar dryer designs.

Honduras, Guatemala, Tanzania, Ghana, Thailand

Reducing losses and extending availability of fruits and vegetables

Presentation, 2017 Aligning the Food System for Fruits and Vegetables

Improving postharvest practices with local market support in Zambia

Led by James Simon, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey

The goal of this project is to further extend economic opportunities to small-scale farmers near Livingstone, Zambia.

Zambia

Trainers talk to farmers about maintaining freshness and proper postharvest handling of various vegetable crops after harvest.

Opening a regional postharvest training center in Tanzania

Led by Diane Barrett, University of California, Davis

A year of training for postharvest experts from Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, Benin and Gabon culminates in the establishment of a model Postharvest and Training Services Center in Tanzania--which the new experts emulate in their home countries.

Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, Kenya, Benin, Gabon

Lisa Kitinoja

Dr. Lisa Kitinoja serves as program manager and lead postharvest trainer for the Postharvest Education Foundation (PEF).

kitinoja@postharvest.org

Two young men kneeling by a row of vegetable plants inside a greenhouse.

Improving bell pepper production in passively ventilated structures in Latin America

Led by Bielinski Santos, University of Florida

Bell pepper production in Central America and the Caribbean has become one of the main agricultural commodities for export to the United States and the European Union.

Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Haiti

Robert Paull

Past board member
University of Hawai’i at Mānoa

Robert Paull is a professor and researcher at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

paull@hawaii.edu

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