POSTHARVEST PHYSIOLOGY AND STORAGE TECHNOLOGY OF HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTS
cod. 1005843

Academic year 2015/16
3° year of course - Second semester
Professor
Academic discipline
Arboricoltura generale e coltivazioni arboree (AGR/03)
Field
A scelta dello studente
Type of training activity
Student's choice
21 hours
of face-to-face activities
3 credits
hub:
course unit
in - - -

Learning objectives

The aim of the course is to give knowledge and competence for all is about physiology and structural changes of plant products, from harvesting to consume. The student will have a higher awareness about the problems connected with plant product storage and, therefore, a better judgemental autonomy on the problem solving about the storage.

Prerequisites

none

Course unit content

First lessons are about plant physiology, chemistry and biochemistry, in order to give to the student a complete look of the phenomena happening in an alive plant organism.
Later on, the harvesting and physiological changing happening in the plant products will be treated.
In the second part of the course, the physiology of stored plant products will be addressed, evaluating the influence of different types of storage on stored product quality.

Full programme

Growing physiology: development, ripening of fruit crops, vegetables and cereals.
Respiration: Biochemical, physical and morphological transformations, development of organoleptic characters.
Choice of harvesting time: ripening indexes more suitable for the different species.
Harvest: advantages and disadvantages of different techniques, depending on the quality and storability of the productions.
Post harvest physiology of fruit and vegetables: physical factors linked to storage (temperature, humidity, light).
Refrigeration and pre-refrigeration
Controlled atmosphere, effect of oxygen variation, vapour, carbon dioxide, eyhilen.
Refrigeration machinery for plant products and other storage methods.
Principal pathologies linked to storage
Physiopathologies.

Bibliography

studying notes given by the professor

Teaching methods

During the lessons main problems linked to post harvest physiology are discuss with frontal lessons, debates and practical examples.

Assessment methods and criteria

oral

Other information

none