Post-harvest quality risks by stress/ethylene: management to mitigate

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Plant Physiology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Post-harvest fresh produce faces significant quality degradation from handling, storage, and distribution stresses.
• Biotic and abiotic stresses induce physiological damage, leading to massive produce loss and reduced shelf life.
• Ethylene production, often termed 'stress ethylene,' accelerates over-ripening, decay, and susceptibility to disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the detrimental effects of stress and ethylene on post-harvest produce quality, focusing on fruits.
• To highlight practical management strategies for mitigating stress and ethylene impacts.
• To elucidate the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying stress/ethylene effects on fruit quality.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on post-harvest physiology and molecular biology.
• Analysis of mutation studies in ethylene signal transduction pathways.
• Exploration of 'omics' tools for practical post-harvest management.

Main Results:

• Stress and ethylene significantly compromise fruit quality, causing issues like softening, flavor loss, and increased decay.
• Genetic modifications reducing ethylene sensitivity can delay ripening and extend shelf life.
• 'Omics' technologies offer promising avenues for understanding and managing post-harvest stress responses.

Conclusions:

• Stress and ethylene are critical factors in post-harvest fruit quality deterioration.
• Targeting ethylene signaling pathways presents a viable strategy for extending produce shelf life.
• 'Omics' approaches are essential for developing effective post-harvest management strategies.