A systems level framework for postharvest physiology and quality preservation

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Plant Physiology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Postharvest losses significantly impact global food supply, often exceeding 40% of fresh produce.
• Deterioration involves complex molecular and physiological processes like ripening, senescence, and oxidative stress.
• Understanding these mechanisms is key to developing effective loss and waste reduction strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish an integrated framework for understanding postharvest physiology.
• To guide sustainable quality preservation strategies for fresh produce.
• To identify biomarkers for quality loss, chilling injury, and senescence.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing metabolomics for large-scale profiling of small molecules and identifying biomarkers.
• Analyzing shifts in primary metabolites (sugars, organic acids) and volatile compounds.
• Integrating multi-omics technologies (metabolomics, transcriptomics) for molecular target identification.
• Investigating preharvest factors and hormonal signaling (ethylene, abscisic acid) influence.

Main Results:

• Metabolomics identified critical indicators of decline, such as altered sugar and organic acid levels, and off-aroma volatiles.
• Preharvest treatments (e.g., regulated deficit irrigation, signaling molecules) enhance antioxidant capacity and delay senescence.
• Exogenous application of signaling molecules (e.g., salicylic acid) sustains redox homeostasis and upregulates antioxidant systems.
• Multi-omics integration aids in identifying intervention targets and optimizing storage conditions.

Conclusions:

• An integrated, biomarker-based, farm-to-fork strategy is essential for sustainable postharvest quality preservation.
• Understanding molecular regulation and physiological transformations is crucial for mitigating food loss and waste.
• These strategies contribute to enhancing food security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with food loss.