CARRY-OUT HARVEST AND

POSTHARVEST OPERATIONS
CORE 4
LO1 – PERFORM PRE-HARVEST OPERATIONS
LO2 – PERFORM HARVESTING ACTIVITY
LO3 – PERFORM POSTHARVEST OPERATION
LO4 – MONITOR STORAGE PEST AND DISEASES
 INTRODUCTION
• Harvesting is the act of removing a crop from where it was
growing and moving it to a more secure location for
processing, consumption, or storage. Some root crops and tree fruit
can be left in the field or orchard and harvested as needed, but
most crops reach a period of maximum quality—that is, they ripen
or mature—and will deteriorate if left exposed to the elements.
While the major factor determining the time of harvest is the
maturity of the crop, other factors such as weather, availability of
harvest equipment, pickers, packing and storage facilities, and
transport are important considerations. Harvest constitutes a major
operation among agricultural activities. Considered for a long time
as the last step in production, it must rather be approached as the
first one in the postproduction system, because of its influence on
subsequent processing and preservation of the products.
Harvesting methods differ according to the part of the plant to be
used. As regards forage crops, the whole plant is cut, but for
underground crops (e.g., groundnuts, roots and tubers), the crop is
lifted while the soil sticking to it is removed. With cereals, the
crop is first cut either as a whole or partially (ears), and then
threshed and cleaned to separate the grain from the ears and straw.
PERFORM PRE–HARVEST OPERATIONS

• Harvesting consists of the basic operations

cutting, threshing, and cleaning. These
activities can be done in individual steps or
in combination using a combine harvester.
There are also traditional harvesting system
activities such as field drying and cut crop field
stacking. However, traditional operations are
not recommended due to increased incidence
of rapid quality deterioration and increased
losses.
 Types of Maturity of Fruits and
Vegetables

• Harvesting maturity
• Physiological maturity
• Commercial or horticultural maturity
 Harvesting Maturity
• The harvest maturity of vegetable depends upon the
purposes for which it is harvested. For local market and
for processing, fully colored tomato fruits are harvested.
However, for a distant market fruit which have started
developing color are harvested. The post-harvest quality
and storage life of fruit appear to be controlled by the
maturity. If the fruits are harvested at a proper stage of
the maturity the quality of fruit is excellent. Poor quality
and uneven ripening are caused by early harvesting and
late harvesting result in extremely poor shelf life. It is
imperative that the fruit should be at the right stage of the
maturity with no of physical damage.
• Various Maturity Indices such as number of damage from fruit
set, visual indicators, size, shape, color, appearances, texture,
lenticel number, sugar, acid ratio and oil content are used to
determine maturity of fruits.
 Physiological Maturity

– In a physiological sense, maturity refers to the

attainment of final stage of biological function by
a plant part of plant as a whole.
– It is the stage of development of any plant organ
at its maximum size and growth.
– The physiological maturity is judged of measure
by rate of respiration and sugar: acid ratio.
– It always followed by senescence.
 Physiological Activity

• Plant physiology is the science which deals

with the life processes of plants, or plant
physiology is the science which deals with
the functions of cells, tissues, organs or the
plant as a whole.
• Days after flower induction
• Days after fruit setting
Commercial or Horticultural Maturity
• It is the stage of development, when plant or plant part
possesses the prerequisites the utilization by consumer for
particular purpose.
• It is a stage of fruit and vegetable at which consumer wants
the fruit and vegetable or fruit and vegetable require by
market. The horticultural maturity of fruits and vegetables
depends upon the purpose for which it is harvested.
• It is a stage appears at any time between development and
growth of any plant upon fruit.
• It can be predicted by using different terminology like
premature, mature and over mature.
• There is no necessity of senescence.
 Physical Indicators

• Plant growth is a process that is highly relevant in

a range of contexts. From an evolutionary
viewpoint, the ability of an individual to grow and
achieve a certain size in a given environment is
one of the prerequisites to reproduce successfully
and achieve an adequate fitness.
Physical indicators include the following:
• Change in color
• Change in size
• Change in texture
 Agronomic History

• Agronomy refers t of scientific theories biological,

ecological, economic, and technological on the
practice of farming to the application.
• Farms and individuals who use agronomics
research apply basic economics and business
techniques to both small and large-scale farms.
These techniques include farm financial
management; market research; pricing, supply,
and demand; and market structures and
development.
 Source of Nursery

• A plant nursery is designed for the

propagation and care of young plants.
• Most shops that exclusively sell plants are
called a nursery regardless of whether they
actually start and grow their own plants or
purchase them elsewhere.
 Variety of Plant
• A plant variety is a plant grouping within a single
botanical taxon of the lowest known rank which,
irrespective of whether the conditions for the
grant of a breeders right are fully met, can be
defined by the expression of the characteristics
resulting from a given genotype or a combination
of genotypes distinguished from any other plant
grouping, by the expression of at least one of
the said characteristics, and considered as units
with regard to its suitability for being propagated
without change.
 Planting Calendar

The planting calendar is a tool that provides timely

information about seeds to promote local crop
production. It contains information on planting, sowing
and harvesting periods of locally adapted crops in specific
agro-ecological zones. It also provides information on the
sowing rates of seed and planting material and the main
agricultural practices.
• Planting calendar refers:
• Days before planting
• Days after planting
• Days at flowering
• Days at fruit set
 Obstructions

• Weeds
Weeds are the bane of our summertime
gardens, the enemy to our lush, green lawns, and
no matter what we do, and they always seem to
come back.
Dead Branches
Tree pruning is most necessary when
branches are dead, wounded, or diseased, and
therefore posing risk to the health of the rest of
the tree.
 Harvesting Tools and Materials
• Picking Poles
When you set out to choose the best fruit
picker, you may wish to consider the type of
fruit being picked, the general height of the
fruit, and how much you plan to pick.
• Scythe
• A scythe is an agricultural implement
traditionally used to cut grass, grains, reeds,
and sedges
• The scythe has largely been replaced by
tractors and other mechanized farming
devices which can accomplish cutting and
harvesting tasks much more quickly and with
much less physical labor.
 Scissors

• Scissors are hand-operated shearing tools.

They consist of a pair of metal blades pivoted
so that the sharpened edges slide against each
other when the handles (bows) opposite to
the pivot are closed.
 Shovel

• A shovel is a long-handled tool with a

scooping blade. It is used to dig and move
material
 Collecting Baskets with Liners

• A basket is a container which is traditionally

constructed from stiff fibers, which can be
made from a range of materials, including
wood splints, runners, and cane.
 Container with Clean Water with
Preservative
• The best way to store water is usually in an
air-tight container away from direct sunlight
and in a location that is relatively constant in
terms of humidity and temperature shifts.
• . In any event, it’s important to properly
sanitize the containers, and keep them away
from corrosive or harmful materials. This is
particularly important for water that is
intended to be kept for a long period of time.
 Sacks

• Sacks are a large bag made of a strong

material such as hessian, thick paper, or
plastic, used for storing and carrying goods.
 Twine

• “Twine” is not a material that has a standard

definition. The word may be used
interchangeably with “thread,” “string,” and
“cord.” It refers to a narrow fabric composed
of any of several different types of material
and used in a variety of ways.
 Records

• Records provide historic estimates of acreage,

yield, production, market year average price,
and value; comparisons of preliminary and final
planted and harvested acreage estimates; and
comparisons of production forecasts versus end-
of-year and final production estimates.
• The records are:
• Crop history
• Farm calendar
• Farm records
 PERFORM HARVESTING ACTIVITY

Harvesting is the process of collecting the

mature crop from the field. Paddy harvesting
activities include cutting, stacking, handling,
threshing, cleaning, and hauling. These can be
done individually or a combine harvester can be
used to perform the operations simultaneously.
It is important to apply good harvesting
methods to be able to maximize grain yield, and
minimize grain damage and quality
deterioration.
 Crops
• Crops are any plants intentionally grown with the
primary purpose of being eaten by humans or
animals. This definition separates a food crop from wild
edible vegetation, grazing material and edible food
used for other purposes. The vast majority of store-
bought fruits, vegetables and grain-based foods
started in this category. This makes up one of the
three main divisions of useful growing plants, the
other two being wild plants and non-food crops.
• There are two basic criteria that differentiate food
crops from other plants. The first is that a person must
intentionally plant and/or care for them and the
second is that they must be primarily used for food.
 Fruit Crop

• A fruit tree is a tree which bears fruit that is

consumed or used by humans and some
animals— all trees that are flowering plants
produce fruit, which are the ripened ovaries of
flowers containing one or more seeds.
 Mangoes

• A mango is a tropical fruit that originated in

Southeast Asia. Food historians believe the
mango has been cultivated for over 4,000 years in
the areas in which it was initially found.
• The fruits have an average length of five inches
(12.7 cm) and weigh an average of one pound
(approximate .5 kg). The ripened skin may be
primarily yellow, or may be multi-hued with
orange and red tones.
•
 Papaya

• The papaya originated in Central and South

America but now thrives in many countries
with tropical or near tropical climates. When
Columbus discovered the fruit on his travels,
he described it as “the fruit of the angels.”
Unlike some tropical fruits, the papaya
appeals to most palates, and is quite easy to
obtain even in countries where it does not
grow well.
 Pineapple

• A pineapple is a tropical fruit with a sweet,

slightly acidic flavor and very juicy flesh.
 Banana

The banana is an edible fruit, botanically a

berry, produced by several kinds of large
herbaceous flowering plants in the genus Musa. In
some countries, bananas used for cooking may be
called plantains. The fruit is variable in size, color
and firmness, but is usually elongated and curved,
with soft flesh rich in starch covered with a rind
which may be green, yellow, red, purple, or brown
when ripe. The fruits grow in clusters hanging from
the top of the plant.
 Citrus

• Citrus tree is a member of a group of tropical

evergreens cultivated around the world for
their fruits. Well-known citrus tree types
include the orange, lime, and lemon.
Recognized for their mild to sour acidic flavor,
citrus fruits have pulpy flesh enclosed in a
tough rind.
 Plantation Crop

• Plantation crop refers to monoculture crops

which are cultivated on an extensive scale
over a large.
 Coffee

• A coffee plantation is a farm where coffee

bean plants are grown and the beans
harvested for sale. Coffee is a high-value crop
with significant economic value. It is
consistently listed as one of the top three
legal exports worldwide every year.
 Cacao

• One of the most wildly popular trees on the

planet is the cacao, the plant species from which
cocoa–and chocolate–is derived. While some
might think cacao and cocoa are one in the same,
they’re not, exactly. Cacao is the tree, while cocoa
is the product made from it (not to be confused
with coca, an evergreen shrub from which
cocaine is concocted). Edible parts of cacao pods
and the beans inside them can be processed to
make cocoa powder, cocoa butter, or chocolate
after being dried and fermented.
 Abaca

• Abaca, plant of the family Musaceae, and its fiber,

which is second in importance among the leaf
fiber group. Abaca fiber, unlike most other leaf
fires, is obtained from the plant leaf stalks
(petioles).
• The abaca plant is closely related to and
resembles the banana plant (Musa sapientum).
The abaca plant grows from rootstock that
produces up to about 25 fleshy, fibreless stalks,
forming a circular cluster called a mat, or hill.
 Coconut

• A coconut is the fruit of the coconut palm. These

plants are believed to be native to Southeast
Asia, where they have been cultivated and used
in food for centuries. Various coconut products
can be found in the cuisine of many Asian
nations, and they appear in other tropical diets as
well, especially in the Caribbean. The distinctive
flavor of the fruit makes it a very popular food,
and a wide range of things are made with this
plant, from palm wine to pie
 Sugarcane

• Sugar cane is a tall and relatively strong class

of perennial grasses that are known to have
high sugar content.
 Forage

• A forage crop is grown for animals like horses

and cattle to eat. They may freely graze on a
pasture or have the crop cut and brought in
for them in the form of dry hay or fermented
silage.
 Ornamentals
• Ornamental plants are plants which are grown for
display purposes, rather than functional ones.
While some plants are both ornamental and
functional, people usually use the term
“ornamental” to refer to plants which have no
value beyond being attractive, although many
people feel that this is value enough. These
plants are the keystone of ornamental gardening,
and they come in a range of shapes, sizes and
colors suitable to a broad array of climates,
landscapes, and gardening needs.
 Cereals
• Cereal is a kind of grain used for making human
and animal food. All are forms of edible grasses
grown around the world in a variety of climates
and soils. The term comes from the Roman
Goddess Ceres, who was aligned with the yearly
harvest, but it is often more closely associated
with breakfast cereals such as cornflakes and
puffed rice. These grains are processed into a
wide variety of products including breads, cakes,
desserts, and other meals.
 Rice
• Rice is a keystone of the grass family that
produces a vast number of grains consumed
by humans. It has been under intensive
cultivation originating in Asia for over 4,000
years and has since spread across the world,
where almost a third of the population
depends on rice for vital nutrition. This grass is
in the genus Oryza, which is separate from
that of wheat, spelt and similar grass crops,
although it resembles them in structure.
 Corn

• Corn, also known as maize, is one of the most

successful cereal grasses of all time.
• Like most grain producing grasses, corn is an
annual that must be replanted each year.
 Vegetables

• A vegetable is any part of a plant that is consumed by

humans as food as part of a savory meal. The term
“vegetable” is somewhat arbitrary, and largely defined
through culinary and cultural tradition. It normally excludes
other food derived from plants such as fruits, nuts and
cereal grains, but includes seeds such as pulses.
• The types of vegetables are:
• Leafy
• Fruit vegetable/Solanaceous
• Legumes
• Bulbs
• Cucurbits
 Medicinal Plants

• Medicinal plants are plants that have a

recognized medical use. They range from
those used in the production of mainstream
pharmaceutical products to plants used in
herbal medicine preparations. Herbal
medicine is one of the oldest forms of medical
treatment in human history and could be
considered one of the forerunners of the
modern pharmaceutical trade.
 Medicinal plants are
Sambong
Lagundi
Tsaang-gubat
Yierba-buena
Acapulko
Bayabas
Ampalaya
Pansit-pansitan
Niyog-niyugan
Bawang
 Essential Oil plants
• Essential oils are the concentrated essence of plant
material widely used in aromatherapy.
• Essential oils are typically extracted from plant matter
via steam distillation. The plant material is treated with
steam, which ‘cooks’ the plant, breaking it down and
releasing its oil. The steam containing the essential
essences is cooled and the oil separated from the
water and filtered.
• Ilang-ilang
• Sampaguita
• Citronella
• Vanilla
 Culinary Herbs

• Herbs are broadly defined as any type of plant

material used for scent or flavor or medicinal
or spiritual purposes. Thousands of herbs are
used all over the world for these purposes. In
cooking, herbs are used primarily for adding
scent and flavor to foods. Most types of herbs
used in cooking are leaves of some type of
plant, but some herbs are flowers as well.
 Example of herbs:
• Basil
• lemon grass
• Mint
• Tarragon
• Parsley
 Spices

• A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, berry, bud

or vegetable substance primarily used for
flavoring, coloring or preserving food. Spices
are distinguished from herbs, which are parts
of leafy green plants used for flavoring or as
a garnish.
• Black pepper
• Chili
 Postharvest Treatment

• Quite a few agricultural commodities are

treated with agricultural chemicals after they
are harvested. This practice is known as ‘post-
harvest chemical treatment’. The objective of
post-harvest chemical treatments is to
address pest and disease problems that may
arise during the transport and storage of a
commodity.
 Agricultural produce destined for interstate
transport may be treated with agricultural
chemicals to meet quarantine requirements.
• Hot water treatment
• Vapor heat treatment
• Chemical treatment
• Best practices in drying
• Pre-cooling treatment
 Characteristics Affecting Harvest

• The appearance of fresh fruits and vegetables

is a primary criterion in making purchasing
decisions. Product appearance is characterized
by size, shape, form, color, condition and
absence of defects. Appearance is utilized
throughout the production–storage–
marketing– utilization chain as the primary
means of judging the quality of individual
units of product
• At the retail store, fruit that are starting to
turn yellow are desired. Consumers, in
contrast, display a broad range in the color
(degree of ripeness) preferred, from partially
green to when the peel is starting to develop
brown senescence spots.
• Thus, while some appearance traits are not
consistent across the production– distribution
chain, others, such as the color of red apples,
remain relatively constant.
• It includes the following:
• Continued occurrence of physiological
• changes
• High in water content
• Susceptible to attack by pathogens and insects
PERFORM POSTHARVEST OPERATION
• Post-harvest handling can have a direct impact
on the quality and marketability of produce,
and its shelf-life, and has become a critical
quality attribute in fresh produce retailing.
 Storage and transport, and primary
processing and packaging can all have a major
effect.
• Temperature and humidity controlled facilities
capable of replicating conditions during
storage, transport, retail display and consumer
storage.
• The provision of a range of commercial
packaging technologies including modified
atmospheres.
• Detailed measurements of color and
• texture.
• Sensory evaluation of color, flavor, texture and
odor, including assessments of consumer
acceptability.
• Analysis of nutritional and compositional
changes during post- harvest storage and shelf
life.
 Postharvest Operation

Postharvest operations are:

• Washing
• Cleaning
• Sorting
• Trimming
• Chemical treatment
• Grading
• Fermenting
• Drying
• Blanching
 Postharvest Equipment
Equipment used in the post-harvest
handling of produce varies widely according to
the specific crop, its intended use, the nature
of any particular enterprise and the point that
produce has reached within the post-harvest
handling system.
• It includes the following
• Hot water treatment machine
• Sorter
• Weighing scale
 Damage

• Damages include the following:

• Bruising
• Wounding
• Abrasion
 Packaging

• Packaging is anything used to contain, protect,

handle, deliver or present raw materials and
processed goods.
• It includes items such as:
• Crates
• Paper wrap
• Carton box
• PEB(Polyethylene bags)
• Styro
• Sacks/bags
 Stored and Stacked

• If produce is to be stored, it is important to

begin with a high quality product. The lot of
produce must not contain damaged or diseased
units, and containers must be well ventilated and
strong enough to withstand stacking. In general
proper storage practices include temperature
control, relative humidity control, air circulation
and maintenance of space between containers
for adequate ventilation, and avoiding
incompatible product mixes.
 MONITOR STORAGE PEST AND
DISEASES
• It has been estimated that between one quarter
and one third of the world grain crop is lost each
year during storage. Much of this is due to insect
attack. In addition, grain which is not lost is
severely reduced in quality by insect damage.
Many grain pests preferentially eat out grain
embryos, thereby reducing the protein content of
feed grain and lowering the percentage of seeds
which germinate. Some important stored grain
pests include the lesser grain borer, rice weevil
and rust red flour beetle.
 Insect Pest

• Pest control is the process of minimizing or

removing a wide range of undesirable insects
and other pests from spaces occupied by
people. The actual process can take place in
the home, in a place of business, or in a public
building. Controlling pests normally involves
using some type of insecticide to prevent
them from entering the space, and to kill any
pests that have already established a presence
within the space.
 Rodents

• Rodents are an order of small placental

mammals characterized by their skulls,
continuously growing teeth, and sharp incisors
which they use to gnaw wood, break open
hard nuts, and bite predators. Their name
means “gnawing teeth” in Latin. Some rodents
include chipmunks, hamsters, gerbils, gophers,
porcupines, mice, rats, squirrels, beavers, and
guinea pigs.
 Fungi

• Fungi are a kingdom of eukaryotic (their cells

have nuclei) organisms. Other examples of
biological kingdoms include Plantae, the plants,
and Animalia, the animals. Common fungi include
mushrooms, yeasts, and molds. Fungi are
essential in decomposing dead organic matter in
the soil, and without them, biological refuse
would take much longer to degrade, making it
difficult for the next generation of organisms to
utilize the essential elements therein.
 Bacterium

• A bacterium is a unicellular microorganism

which represents one of the most basic and
primitive forms of life. Bacteria are
everywhere, from pools of nuclear waste to
deep inside the Earth’s crust, and it is believed
that bacteria were the first living organisms on
Earth