ARD Static

Lecture – 9
 Timetable
Lecture No. Topics Time Date
1 Introduction to Agriculture 2:00 PM 24/07/2023
2 Agronomy 2:00 PM 25/07/2023
3 Farming System 2:00 PM 26/07/2023
4 Cropping Pattern and Cropping System 2:00 PM 27/07/2023
5 Agrometeorology 2:00 PM 28/07/2023
6 Seed and Sowing 2:00 PM 29/07/2023
7 Soil and Water Conservation 2:00 PM 31/07/2023
8 Irrigation and Irrigation Management 2:00 PM 1/08/2023
9 Plantation and Horticulture Crops 2:00 PM 2/08/2023
10 Animal Husbandry and Poultry 2:00 PM 3/08/2023
11 Fisheries 2:00 PM 4/08/2023
12 Forestry 2:00 PM 5/08/2023
13 Agriculture Extension 2:00 PM 7/08/2023
14 Agriculture Economics 2:00 PM 8/08/2023
15 Ecology and Climate Change 2:00 PM 9 /08/2023
16 Rural Development 2:00 PM 10/08/2023
 Practice Question
Q. The concept of available water is given by which of the following scientists?

A. Veihmayer and Hendrickson

B. Arnon and Stout
C. Blackman
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

Ans Veihmayer and Hendrickson

 Steps of Post Harvesting

Pre-cooling (Low temperature)

Cleaning, washing and trimming

High temperature – Curing / Drying / Hot water treatments / Vapour heat treatment /Degreening

Chemical treatment - Disinfestations/ Sprout suppressants/Mineral application/ethylene inhibitors(1-MCP)

Fruit coating (waxing)

Astringency removal

Irradiation

Regulation of ripening -Control/ethylene scavenging/ Degreening

 Post Harvesting

Pre-cooling refers to removal of field heat (quick cooling) after harvest; if

Precooling
not, its deterioration is faster at higher temperature

Water with 100-150 ppm of Cl and pH around 6.5 to 7.5 is used.

Cleaning and Washing Remove adhering dirt, stains, insects, and molds cleaning and improving
their appearance to extend the shelf life of the produce.

Removal, trimming, and cutting of all undesirable leaves/stems/ stalks/

Dressing roots/ other non-edible or unmarketable parts is called dressing. The
dressing makes vegetables attractive and marketable.
Produce can also be covered with gunny sack soaked in cold water, if it must
Water spray
store for longer period before sale.
 Curing
Curing is accomplished by holding the produce at a temperature and RH for several days
while harvesting wounds heal and new protective layers of cell forms around the wound
 Drying

Drying is carried out to preserve the fruits and vegetables by reducing the water activities below
that which support the growth of microorganisms and action of enzymes.

Dying in onion and garlic does not involve uniform and low moisture content as in
case of dehydration but drying only the outer layer.

Drying of onion has been carried out in the field and called ‘windrowing’. This involves
pulling the bulb from the ground and laying them in the ground in small heaps for 1-2 weeks.
 Degreening

Post-harvest treatment of citrus fruits with ethylene under controlled conditions hastens the loss of
chlorophyll, a process known as ‘degreening’.

Degreening consists of chlorophyll degradation to allow the expression of natural pigments masked by the
green color.

Eg. Yellowing of citrus fruits.

 Hot water treatment Vs Vapor heat treatment
‘Dipping of fruits in hot water of specific
temperature for specified periods for the
purpose of disease control, insect
disinfestations or uniform ripening’ is
known as hot water treatment.
Vapor heat treatment is a method of
heating fruit with air saturated with water
vapor (humidified by injection of steam) at
temperatures of 40–50°C to kill insect
eggs and larvae as a quarantine treatment
before fresh market shipment.
Vapor heat was developed specifically for
insect control. The temperature and exposure
time is adjusted to kill all stages of fruit fly-
infected produce(mango).
 Disinfestation

Most fungi require acidic pH (2.5 – 6) conditions in which they grow and develop, while bacteria thrive best
at neutral pH and few can grow at levels below pH 4.5.
Chlorine and sulfur dioxide are the most widely used chemicals.
Chlorine is used in concentrations from 50 to 200 ppm in water to reduce the number of microorganisms
present on the surface of the fruit. However, it does not stop the growth of a pathogen already established.

Sprouting
Root and tuber-type vegetables have a dormant period after harvest and then re-grow under favorable
conditions. In potatoes, garlic, onion, and other crops sprouting and root formation accelerate deterioration.
Potatoes - commercially CIPC (3-chloro –iso-propyl-N phenyl carbamate) is applied prior to storage as dust,
immersion, vapor or other forms of application as sprout suppressant.
 Waxing
A protective edible coat on fruit and vegetable which protect them from transpiration losses and
reduce the rate of respiration is called ‘waxing’.

Commercial Wax: Shellac wax, Carnauba wax, Bee wax and Paraffin wax

Spray waxing Dipping Foam waxing Flooding

Astringency

Astringency is the dry, puckering mouthfeel caused by tannins found in many fruits such as red grapes,
blackthorn, quince, persimmon fruits, and banana skin.

Treatment with high levels of CO2 and spraying with alcohol (ethanol) will help in reducing the astringency.
 Irradiation

Ionizing Radiation can be applied to fresh fruits and vegetables to control

microorganisms/insects /parasites and inhibit or prevent cell reproduction and some chemical
changes.
It can be applied by exposing the crop to a radioisotope in the form of gamma-rays but X-rays can
also be used from the machine which produces a high-energy electron beam.

Cobalt 60 is commonly used as a source of gamma rays in food irradiation.

 Ripening

During ripening an inedible mature fruit will turn into edible soft fruit with optimum taste and characteristic
flavor. Fruits start ripening after reaching maturity by the release of a ripening hormone known as ethylene
from the fruit.

Ethylene is externally applied to enhance the ripening process of fruits.

Q 1. Which of the following is most commonly used in irradiation

A. Co-60
B. Ce-137
C. Ur-238
D. Tc-99
E. All of the above

Ans: Co-60
Q2. Which of the following is the drying of onion, carried out in the field and involves pulling
the bulb from the ground and laying them in the ground in small heaps for 1-2 weeks?

A. Windrowing
B. Threshing
C. Curing
D. Dehydration
E. Precooling

Ans: Windrowing
Q 3. ______________ is a method of heating fruit with air saturated with water vapor
(humidified by injection of steam) at temperatures of 40–50°C.

A. Hot water treatment

B. Vapor heat treatment
C. Parboiling
D. Curing
E. None of the above

Ans: Vapor heat treatment

Q4. Which of the following can be used in reducing astringency?

A. Treatment with ethylene

B. Treatment with high levels of CO2
C. Wax Coating
D. Irradiation
E. Both A & B

Ans: Treatment with high levels of CO2

Q5. The concentration of Cl in water used for washing is ___________
A. 10-20ppm
B. 30-60ppm
C. 50-80 ppm
D. 70-100 ppm
E. 100-150ppm

Ans: 100-150ppm
 Practice Question
Q. The process of removal of green pigments from fruits as it is not liked by the customer
and further exposing it to the ethylene gas is known as?

A. Ripening
B. Waxing
C. De-greening
D. Cleaning
E. None of the Above