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TLE - AFA-ACP
Quarter 4 – Module 4, Week 5-6
Performing Post-Harvest Operation
 What I Need to Know
This module was designed and written for the learners to help them
perform post-harvest operation. After going through this module, the learner
is expected to:

1. identify the component of post-harvest management; and

2. classify the different post-harvest operation.
TLE_AFAACP9-12CHPO-IIIjIVa-h-32

What I Know

Directions: Read the following test items below. Encircle the

letter of the correct answer. Write your answer on your activity
notebook.

1. When is the right time to harvest your crops?

A. when crops are mature C. when crops are over ripe
B. when crops are fully grown D. when crops are needed

2. What are the consequences of not harvesting on time?

A. more losses C. improved product
B. gives high value D. highly variable

3. It is a process of selecting fruits and vegetables with or without

damages.
A. grading C. sorting
B. selection D. washing

4. The edible product of a plant or tree, which is consisted of seed and its
envelope?
A. fruits C. seeds
B. plants D. vegetables

5. It is derived from Saxon word ‘Ripi ’, which means gather or reap.

A. harvest C. ripe
B. mature D. ripening

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 Lesson Performing Post-
1 Harvest Operation
This module will help you to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitude
in performing post-harvest operation. This module covers the nature of
postharvest management, understanding product maturity and approximate
number of days from planting to market maturity under optimum growing
conditions.

What’s In
Directions: Put a check ( √ ) if the statement is correct and ( x ) if it is not.
Write your answer on your activity notebook.

1. Physiological maturity is the stage when a fruit is capable of further

development or ripening when it is harvested i.e. ready for eating or
processing.

2. Horticultural maturity refers to the stage of development when plant and

plant part possesses the pre-requisites for use by consumers for a
particular purpose i.e. ready for harvest.

3. The optimum eating quality is reached before full maturity and delayed
harvesting results in lower quality at harvest and faster deterioration rate
after harvest.

4.Post-Harvest Management is a set of post-production practices that

includes; cleaning, washing, selection, grading, disinfection, drying,
packing and storage.

5. The optimum postharvest management of horticultural products is the

same for all products.

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 What’s New
Directions: Analyze the picture below. Write three (3) sentences
about the picture. Write it on your activity notebook.

What Is It

PERFORM POST-HARVEST OPERATION

Post-Harvest Management

Post-Harvest Management is a set of post-production practices that

includes; cleaning, washing, selection, grading, disinfection, drying,
packing and storage. These eliminate
undesirable elements and improve
product appearance, as well as ensuring
that the product complies
with established quality standards for
fresh and processed products.
Postharvest practices include the
management and control of variables
such as temperature and relative
humidity, the selection and use of
packaging, and the application of such
supplementary treatments as fungicides.

After they are harvested, the value of fruits and vegetables is added in
successive stages up to the point when someone eats them. The aim of
postharvest management is to maximize this added value. This ultimate
should benefit the whole community, whether through increased export

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earnings or extending the availability of produce through the year.
Conversely losses hurt everyone. Obviously, disease and oversupply
contribute to this, but there are many other reasons for the losses.
Postharvest management can influence all them, with the two most
important areas being temperature management and packaging. Another
point to remember is that the loss of value of a downgraded product is
likely to be substantially greater for highly differentiated branded
products which sell at a premium in the market. All the hard work that
has gone into promoting and raising the profile of a branded product can
be quickly eroded if there are postharvest quality problems with some
lines of that product.

Postharvest management can be addressed through the following items:

1. The Nature of Postharvest Management

The agricultural produce includes fruits, vegetables, flowers and other

ornamental plants, plantation crops, aromatic and medicinal plants and
spices. According to Oxford English Dictionary, fruit can be defined as
‘the edible product of a plant or tree, consisting of seed and its envelope,
especially the latter when it is juicy or pulpy ’. The consumer definition of
fruit would be ‘plant products with aromatic flavors, which are either
naturally sweet or normally sweetened before eating. The classification of
fruits and vegetables is arbitrary and according to usage. Botanically
many crops, defined as vegetables, are fruits e.g., tomato, capsicum,
melons etc. Morphologically and physiologically the fruits and vegetables
are highly variable, may come from a root, stem, leaf, immature or fully
mature and ripe fruits. They have variable shelf life and require different
suitable conditions during marketing. All fresh horticultural crops are
high in water content and are subjected to desiccation (wilting, shriveling)
and to mechanical injury. Various authorities have estimated that 20–30
% of fresh horticultural produce is lost after harvest and these losses can
assume considerable economic and social importance. That is why, these
perishable commodities need very careful handling at every stage so that
deterioration of produce is restricted as much as possible during the
period between harvest and consumption.

Agricultural produce is alive and has to stay alive long after harvest.
Like other living material it uses up oxygen and gives out carbon dioxide.
It also means that it has to receive intensive care. For a plant, harvesting
is a kind of amputation. In the field it is connected to roots that give it
water and leaves which provide it with the food energy it needs to live.
Once harvested and separated from its sources of water and nourishment
it must inevitably die. The role of postharvest handling is to delay that
death for as long as possible. Horticultural managers must possess many
skills to succeed in this. They need a keen appreciation of horticultural
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diversity. For example, spinach and apples, bananas and potatoes each
have their own requirements. The optimum postharvest management of
horticultural products is not the same for all products. Growers,
wholesalers, exporters and retailers must all be aware of the specific
needs of a product if the postharvest shelf life and quality is to be
maximized (Jobling 2002).

It could be concluded that, horticultural produce is alive and has to stay

alive long after harvest. Like other living material it uses up oxygen and
gives out carbon dioxide. It also means that it has to receive intensive
care. The role of postharvest handling is to delay that death for as long
as possible. Horticultural managers must possess many skills to succeed
in this.

Post-Harvest Operations

 Cleaning - removing dirt from fruits and vegetables.

 Washing - wash fruits thoroughly and carefully to avoid damages.

 Selection - a process of selecting fruits and vegetables with or

without damages.

 Grading - a process of classifying fruits according to size, shape,

ripeness, colour.

 Disinfection - the process of using disinfectant to destroy,

inactivate, or significantly reduce the concentration of pathogenic
agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

 Drying - dealing in dry goods other non-perishable items.

 Packing - maintains the quality of products when transported.

 Storing - stored fruits and vegetables are affected by moisture,

temperature, insect pests and type of storage facilities. High
moisture during storage generates heat which makes fruits
and vegies susceptible to insect pests and molds as well as
yellowing and discoloration.

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 2. Understanding Product Maturity

The stage of development at which a product is regarded as mature depends

on its final use. Fruit and vegetables are eaten at all stages of development.
We eat sprouted seeds, vegetative leaves and
flowers, whole fruit as well as seeds and nuts. There
are no general rules when it comes to defining
horticultural maturity. A lot of research has been
done to establish maturity parameters for a whole
range of specific agricultural products. Maturity
must be defined for each product in some cases for
each variety of a particular product. The use of
maturity standards provides consumers with a
minimum level of quality assurance. Another reason for establishing maturity
standards is that
most horticultural products are harvested by hand. A simple color guide and
size can help pickers harvest produce at the correct stage of development. The
stage of development at which a product is regarded as mature depends on its final
use.

Crop Early variety Common type Late variety

Beans, bush 46 days - 65 days
Beans, pole 56 days - 72 days
Beans, lima, bush 65 days - 78 days
Beets 50 days - 80 days
Broccoli, sprouting 70 days - 150 days
Brussels sprouts 90 days - 100 days
Cabbage 62 days - 110 days
Carrots 60 days - 85 days
Cauliflower 55 days - 65 days
Chives - 90 days -
Corn 70 days - 100 days
Cucumber 60 days - 70 days
Eggplant 70 days - 85 days
Kohlrabi 55 days - 65 days
Lettuce, head 60 days - 85 days
Lettuce, leaf 40 days - 50 days
Melon, Honey Ball - 105 days -
Melon, Honey Dew - 115 days -
Muskmelon 75 days 83 days 90 days
Mustard 40 days - 60 days
Okra 50 days - 60 days
Onions 85 days - 120 days

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 Radishes 22 days - 40 days
Spinach 40 days - 50 days
Squash 80 days - 120 days
Tomatoes 65 days - 100 days
Turnips 40 days - 75 days
Watermelon 65 days 75 days 95 days
Parsley 70 days - 85 days
Peas 58 days - 77 days
Pepper, sweet 60 days - 80 days
Potatoes 90 days - 120 days
Pumpkin 110 days - 120 days

Approximate number of days from planting to market maturity under

optimum growing conditions.

Maturity at harvest is the most important factor that determines

postharvest-life and final quality such as appearance, texture, flavor, nutritive
value of fruit- vegetables. Fruit-vegetables include two groups: (1) immature
fruit-vegetables, such as green bell pepper, green chili pepper, cucumber,
summer (soft-rind) squash, chayote, lima beans, snap beans, sweet pea,
edible-pod pea, okra, eggplant, and sweet corn; and (2) mature fruitvegetables,
such as tomato, red peppers, muskmelons (cantaloupe, cassava, crenshaw,
honeydew, persian), watermelon, pumpkin, and winter (hard-rind) squash.
For group (1), the optimum eating quality is reached before full maturity and
delayed harvesting results in lower quality at harvest and faster deterioration
rate after harvest. For group (2) most of the fruits reach peak eating quality
when fully ripened on the plant and, with the exception of tomato, all are
incapable of continuing their ripening processes once removed from the plant.
Fruits picked at less than mature stages are subject to greater shriveling and
mechanical damage, and are of inferior flavor quality. Overripe fruits are likely
to become soft and/or mealy in texture soon after harvest. The necessity of
shipping mature fruit-vegetables long distances has often encouraged
harvesting them at less than ideal maturity, resulting in suboptimal taste
quality to the consumer. Several factors in addition to maturity at harvest
have major impacts on postharvest behavior and quality of fruit-vegetables.
Fruits of group (1) normally produce only very small quantities of ethylene.
However, they are very responsive to ethylene and can be damaged by
exposure to 1 ppm or higher concentrations. Ethylene exposure accelerates
chlorophyll degradation, induces yellowing of green tissues, encourages calyx
abscission (eggplant), and accelerates fruit softening. Most of the fruits in
group (2) produce larger quantities of ethylene in association with their
ripening, and exposure to ethylene treatment will result in faster and more
uniform ripening as indicated by loss of chlorophyll (green color), increase of

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carotenoids (red, yellow, and orange colors), flesh softening and increased
intensity of characteristic aroma volatiles (Fig. 2 ).

Photo of some different vegetables at maturity stage in super market.

All fruit-vegetables, except peas and sweet corn, are susceptible to
chilling injury if exposed to temperatures below 5 °C e.g., cantaloupe,
lima bean, snap bean, 7.5 °C e.g., pepper, 10 °C such as cucumber,
softrind squash, eggplant, okra, chayote, or 12.5 °C e.g., tomato,
muskmelons other than cantaloupe, pumpkin, hard-rind squash. A
relative humidity range of 90–95 % is optimum for all fruit-vegetables
except pumpkin and hard-rind squash where it should be 60–70%.
Atmospheric modification (low oxygen and/or elevated carbon dioxide
concentrations) can be a useful supplement to proper temperature and
relative humidity in maintaining postharvest quality of some
fruitvegetables, such as tomato and muskmelons.

Fruits harvested too early may lack flavor and may not ripen properly,
while produce harvested too late may be fibrous or have very limited
market life. Similarly, vegetables are harvested over a wide range of
physiological stages, depending upon which part of the plant is used as
food. For example, small or immature vegetables possess better texture
and quality than mature or over-mature vegetables. Therefore, harvesting
of fruits and vegetables at proper stage of maturity is of paramount
importance for attaining desirable quality. The level of maturity actually
helps in selection of storage methods, estimation of shelf life, selection of
processing operations for value addition etc. The maturity has been
divided into two categories i.e. physiological maturity and horticultural
maturity:

• Physiological maturity: It is the stage when a fruit is capable of further

development or ripening when it is harvested i.e. ready for eating or
processing.

• Horticultural maturity: It refers to the stage of development when

plant and plant part possesses the pre-requisites for use by consumers
for a particular purpose i.e. ready for harvest (Dhatt and Mahajan 2007).

It could be concluded that, the stage of development at which a product

is regarded as mature depends on its final use. Fruit and vegetables are

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 eaten at all stages of development. We eat sprouted seeds, vegetative
leaves and flowers, whole fruit as well as seeds and nuts. There are no
general rules when it comes to defining horticultural maturity. It is worth
to mention also that, the most important fruits and vegetables maturity
indices are visual, physical, chemical and calculated indices.

What’s More
A. Directions: Match column A to column B. Write your answer on your
activity notebook.

Column A Column B

1. Cleaning A. removing dirt from fruits and

vegetables

2. Washing B. a process of selecting fruits and

vegetables with or without
damages.

3. Selection C. maintains the quality of products

when transported.

4. Drying D. dealing in dry goods other

nonperishable items.

5. Packing E. wash fruits thoroughly and

carefully to avoid damages.

B. Directions: Supply the missing word to make the statement complete.

Write your answer in your activity notebook.

1. Maturity at harvest is the most _______________________ factor that

determines postharvest-life.
2. Fruits harvested too early may lack flavor and may not __________________
properly.
3. Harvesting of fruits and __________________ at proper stage of maturity is
of paramount importance for attaining desirable quality.
4. Fruits and vegetables are eaten at all __________________ of development.

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5. Postharvest practices include the __________________ and control of
variables such as temperature and relative humidity.

C. Directions: Write T if the statement is correct and write F if the statement

is in correct. Write your answer on your activity notebook.

1. Physiological maturity is the stage when a fruit is ready for eating or

processing.

2. Horticultural maturity refers to the stage of development when plant and

plant part are ready to harvest.
3. The optimum eating quality is reached before full maturity and delayed
harvesting results in higher quality at harvest and slow deterioration rate
after harvest.

4. Post-Harvest Management is a set of post-production practices that

includes; cleaning, washing, selection, grading, disinfection, drying,
packing and storage.

5. The optimum postharvest management of horticultural products is not the

same for all products.

What I Have Learned

Directions: Fill in the missing word/s to complete the sentence that

summarize our topic for today. Write your answer on your activity notebook.

The Importance of ________(1)_________ indices are to ensure sensory quality

(flavor, color, aroma, texture) and ________(2)_________; an adequate
________(3)_________ shelf life; facilitate of ________(4)_________ and
________(5)_________ operations and to facilitate marketing over the phone or
through internet.

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 What I Can Do
Directions: Interview any farmer planting different fruits and vegetables near
your area. Ask them the following:
Name of Farmer: __________________________
Address: __________________________
Date Interview: __________________________
Crop/Plant Area Planted Area Harvested Production Quantity

Ex. Corn 1 hectare 1 hectare 150 sacks

_________________________________
Name/Signature

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 Assessment
Directions: Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write the letter of your
answer on your activity notebook.

1. When is the right time to harvest your crops?

C. when crops are mature C. when crops are over ripe
D. when crops are fully grown D. when crops are needed
2. What are the consequences of not harvesting on time?
A. more losses C. improve product
B. gives high value D. highly variable
3. It’s a process of selecting fruits and vegetables with or without
damages?
A. grading C. sorting
B. selection D. washing
4. The edible product of a plant or tree, consisting of seed and its envelope,
especially the latter when it is juicy or pulpy is referred to as?
A. fruits C. seeds
B. plants D. vegetables
5. It is derived from Saxon word ‘Ripi ’, which means gather or reap.
A. harvest C. ripe
B. mature D. ripening

References
Intacto, Victor III V. k to 12-Technology and Livelihood Education. Learners
Material Grade 7/7. Horticulture Philippines: Department of Education

Hassan R. El-Ramady , Éva Domokos-Szabolcsy , Neama A. Abdalla , Hussein

S. Taha , and Miklós Fári, Post-Harvest Management of Fruits and
Vegetables Storage, PDF

K to 12 Curriculum Guide-Agri-Fishery Arts Agricultural Crops Production (

NC II). May 2016. Philippines. Department of Education.

Competency Based Learning Modules in Horticulture NC II Grade 9-12.

Philippines: Department of Education, n.d.

Curriculum Guide. ACP 9-12. Philippines: Department of Education, n.d.

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