Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course, the student will be able to know and understand:
1) Main diseases and physiological disorders of stored fruits and vegetables
2) Main problems associated to the presence of pathogens of clinical interests along the production and storage of horticultural products.
2) Methods to preserve quality of stored fruits and vegetables
3) Strategies to implement safety of horticultural products in post-harvest
Applying knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
1) Suggest correct production methods and techniques to ensure quality and safety of stored vegetable food.
2) Apply acquired knowledge to develop and implement procedures for storing and monitoring fruits and vegetables in post-harvest.
3) Identify and manage possible threat to human health posed by the internalisation of clinical pathogens in stored horticultural products.
Making judgements
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
1) Assess stored horticultural products in term of quality and safety related to possible alterations caused by pathogens or physiological disorders.
2) Assess the suitability of specific procedures (curing, refrigeration, modified atmosphere, use of 1-MCP) to ensure quality and safety of stored fruits and vegetables.
Communication skills
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
1) Use of scientific language appropriately, and the specific lexicon to describe and transfer in oral and written form the acquired concepts.
2) Efficiently communicate any technical innovation related to increasing the shelf life of stored vegetable products.
Learning skills
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
1) Increase his/her knowledge on post-harvest management of horticultural products.
2) Increase his/her ability to suggest sustainable alternatives to preserve fresh vegetable food.
3) Understand the impact of cropping systems on post-harvest quality of fruits and vegetables.
Prerequisites
Plant Pathology. Crop Physiology (desirable). Microbiology.
Course unit content
Course contents summary
First part. Post-harvest losses and waste: a global issue. Pre-harvest factors affecting post-harvest quality. Precooling and refrigeration of horticultural products. Storage systems and ethylene technology. Bacterial soft rots of vegetables: causal agents, epidemiology and control. Main fungal diseases of stored horticultural products and their management: brown rot, grey moulds. Use of microbial biocontrol agents in post-harvest and associated risks. Physiological disorders and their control. Analysis and control systems in post-harvest operations.
Second part. Food-borne pathogens in horticultural production systems. The “Jekyll/Hyde” microbes. Internalisation of clinical viruses and bacteria in fruits and vegetables. Case studies: the coring of Iceberg salad and associated sanitary risks; production of soybean sprouts and associated microbiological risks; cross-talking between Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and soft rot bacteria; Listeria monocytogenes and melons production. Risk analysis of production sites and risk mitigation in horticultural systems.
Full programme
Content details will strictly follow the points highlighted above and will be added later
Bibliography
G. N. Agrios, PLANT PATHOLOGY, 5TH EDITION, Elsevier, 2004
R- Barkai-Dolan, Postharvest Diseases of Fruits and Vegetables, 1st Edition, Development and Control, Elsevier Science, 2001. 442 pages.
E.M. Yahia, Postharvest Technology of Perishable Horticultural Commodities, Woodhead Publishing, 2019. 750 pages.
M.W. Siddiqui, Postharvest Disinfection of Fruits and Vegetables, Academic Press, 2018. 250 pages.
Hoagland et al, 2018. Foodborne pathogens in horticultural production systems: Ecology and
Mitigation. Scientia Horticulturae, 236: 192-206.
Teaching methods
The lessons will be held with the support of power point presentations.
Working groups may be organised on specific topics of interest for the students.
The course will be (possibly) integrated with a trip to visit the industrial plant of a major player in post-harvest management of horticultural crops.
Assessment methods and criteria
The final exam will be oral, with questions on the main course topics presented both in the first and in the second part.
Other information
Lesson frequency is not mandatory, but strongly encouraged
