Post-Harvest Physiology and Crop Preservation

574 Pages·1983·17.926 MB·English

by  Harold W. Woolhouse (auth.), Morris Lieberman (eds.)

Post-Harvest
Physiology and
Crop Preservation
NATO ADVANCED STUDY INSTITUTES SERIES
Aseries of edited volumes comprising multifaceted studies of contem
porary scientific issues by some of the best scientific minds in the
world, assembled in cooperation with NATO Scientific Affairs Divi
sion.
Series A: Life Sciences
Recent Volumes in this Series
Volume 43 -Advaneed Topies on Radiosensitizers of Hypoxie Cells
edited by A. Breccia, C. Rimondi, and G. E. Adams
Volume 44-Cell Regulation by Intracellular Signals
edited by Stephane Swillens and Jacques E. Dumont
Volume 45 - Structural Molecular Biology: Methods and Applications
edited by David B. Davies, Wolfram Saenger, and Steven S. Danyluk
Volume 46-Post-Harvest Physiology and Crop Preservation
edited by Morris Lieberman
Volume 47-Targeting of Drugs
edited by Gregory Gregoriadis, ludith Senior, and Andre Trouet
Volume 48- Neurotransmitter Interaction and Compartmentation
edited by H. F. Bradford
Volume 49-Biological Effects and Dosimetry of Nonionizing Radiation
edited by Martino Grandolfo, Sol M. Michaelson, and Alessandro Rindi
Volume 50-Somatic Cell Genetics
edited by C. Thomas Caskey and D. Christopher Robbins
Volume 51-Factors in Formation and Regression of the Atherosc1erotic Plaque
edited by Gustav R. V. Born, Alberico L. Catapano, and
Rodolfo Paoletti
This series is published by an international board of publishers in con
junction with NATO Scientific Affairs Division
A Life Sciences Plenum Publishing Corporation
B Physics London and New York
C Mathematical and D. Reidel Publishing Company
Physical Sciences Dordrecht, The Netherlands
and Hingham, Massachusetts, USA
D Behavioral and Martinus Nijhoff Publishers
Social Seien ces The Hague, The Netherlands
E Applied Sciences
_Post-Harvest
Physiology and
Crop Preservation
Edited by
Morris Lieberman
Late 0/ Beltsville Agricultural Research Center
Be/tsville, Maryiand
PLENUM PRESS • NEW YORK AND LONDON
Published in cooperation with NATO Scientific Affairs Division
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
NATO Advanced Study Institute on Post-Harvest Physiology and Crop Preservation
(1981: Sounion, Greece)
Post-harvest physiology and crop preservation.
(NATO advanced study institutes series. Series A, Life sciences; v. 46)
"Proceedings of a NATO Advanced Study Institute on Post-Harvest Physiology and
Crop Preservation, held April 28-May 8, 1981, in Sounion, Greece" - T.p. verso.
Bibliogrpahy: p.
Includes index.
I. Food crops - Physiology - Congresses. 2. Food crops - Preservation - Congresses.
I. Lieberman, Morris, 1919- . II. North Atlantic Treaty Organization. III. Title.
IV. Series.
SB175.N37 1981 631.5'6 82-3645
AACR2
ISBN 978-1-4757-0096-1 ISBN 978-1-4757-0094-7 (eBook)
DOl 10.1007/978-1-4757-0094-7
Proceedings of a NATO Advanced Study Institute on Post-Harvest Physiology and
Crop Preservation, held April 28-May 8, 1981, in Sounion, Greece
© 1983 Plenum Press, New York
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1983
A Division of Plenum Publishing Corporation
233 Spring Street, New York, N.Y. 10013
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming,
recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher
To
alI those who labored
and labor to preserve crops after
harvest for the benefit of mankind
MORRIS LIEBERMAN
Morris Lieberman, the Director of the NATO Advanced Study
Institute on Post-Harvest Physiology and Crop Preservation, passed
away after completing the editing of the manuscripts of the present
book. The loss of this great scientist and fine personality is
deeply regretted by his colleagues and friends.
Lieberman contributed considerably to the knowledge of post
harvest physiology, particularly to the understanding of the bio
synthetic pathway leading to the hormone that regulates plant organ
senescence, ethylene. In the sixties, while working with Mapson at
Cambridge, he discovered methionine as a substrate for thissynthesis.
It was at the Post-Harvest Plant Physiology Laboratory at Beltsville,
which he directed, that rhizobitoxine analogs were found to inhibit
the main regulatory enzyme of the pathway, aminocyclopropanecarboxy
lic-acid synthetase. Morris Lieberman died deeply involved in the
further analysis of the enzyme systems of this pathway.
Next to his enthusiasm for science, Morris had a vivid interest
in many aspects of life and was a very kind and friendly personwith
a beautiful sense of humor. Nothwithstanding his sharp insight his
judgment was mild. It was a privilege to be among his friends, only
few of whom knew that he was so ill that he nearly had to stay away
from the Institute that was his very conception and which he had
been fostering with such zeal. It gave hirn deep satisfaction to
direct the Institute and to edit this volume. We may accept thebook
with gratitude and respect as a memorial to a great man.
Johan Bruinsma
Co-Director
PREFACE
Emphasis in agricultural research for many years has concen
trated on crop production. This emphasis has become more important
in recent years with the realization that the population worldwide
is outstripping the food supply. There is, however, another side
to increasing the availability of the food supply. This simply
involves preservation of the harvested crop·for human consumption.
The losses incurred in harvesting, handling, transportation, storage
and marketing crops have become a greater problem as the distance
from the farm to the ultimate consumer increases. In the Western
world where modern transportation, storage facilities, and marketing
technology are widely used, post-harvest technology requires a
large input of energy which increases costs considerably. There
fore, losses are more significant and the ability to provide fresh
fruits and vegetables, out of season, at reasonable costs will
depend on reduced post-harvest losses throughout the marketing
chain from the farm gate to the ultimate consumer.
The reduction in post-harvest losses depends on proper use of
current technology and further developments derived from a broad
spectrum of scientific disciplines. Biochemistry, plant physiology,
plant pathology, horticulture, agronomy, physics, engineering and
agricultural economics, all provide knowledge which has been useful
and will be useful in the future for improving post-harvest technol
ogy and crop preservation. This volume records the Proceedings
of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Post-Harvest Physiology and
Crop Preservation, held at Sounion, Greece, April 28 - May 8, 1981.
Lecturers at the Institute represented all of these scientific
areas, providing a broad spectrum view of current basic and practi
cal information which impact on post harvest technology and crop
preservation.
Notice was also taken, at the Institute, of the special prob
lems of crop preservation in developing countries wherein conditions
are quite different from those in the Western developed world. Quite
a different technology is applicable to developing world post
harvest problems. Nevertheless, basic scientific information should
still be useful in establishing improvements which prevent losses
ix
x PREFACE
within the context of the primitive systems used. The economics of
some of these problems were also discussed in the course of the
Institute. Hopefu11y, the information in this vo1ume will provide
basic know1edge of current and emerging techno1ogy which will be
usefu1 in advancing post-harvest techno1ogy and crop preservation
wor1dwide.
The Institute was brought into being through the efforts of
many dedicated individua1s. I am especia11y indebted to my Co
Director, Prof. Bruinsma, and the Organizing Committee members:
Prof. Bangerth, Prof. Come, Prof. Dekazos, Prof. Di11ey, Dr. Rhodes,
and Prof. V1itos. Their inva1uab1e he1p in arranging the program,
obtaining financia1 support in their own countries, and se1ecting
students made our Institute a success. A special thanks is due
Prof. Dekazos and Dr. Karaou1anis, members of the loca1 committee,
for se1ecting the site and making all the loca1 arrangements.
In addition to the generous support and sponsorship of NATO,
the Institute was co-sponsored by the Science and Education
Administration of the U.S. Department of Agricu1ture and the Greek
Ministry of Agricu1ture. Financia1 support was also provided by
the fo11owing organizations and companies: Air Liquide; BASF AG;
Bayer AG; Centre Technique Interprofessionne1 des Fruits et Legunle~;
Compagnie des Entreports et Gares Frigorifiques; Duphar; E.I. Dupont
de Nemours and Company; Froi1abo; Greek Ministry of Cu1ture and
Science; He11enic Organization of Tourism; Hoechst AG; Plenum Press;
Societe Francaise de Transports et Entreports Frigorifiques; Tate
and Ly1e Ltd; and Ve1sir:01 Chemica1 Corporation. Generous contri
butions by these organizations provided support for additional
students and lectürers.
Finally I wish to acknow1edge my sincere appreciation to
Delores Sessions who carried the burden of extensive correspondence
and other matters re1ated to the Institute and retyped virtua11y
all the manuscripts in the required format. I accept fu11
responsibility for all editorial errors, which, despite my efforts,
probably exist.
Morris Lieberman
Be1tsvi1le, Mary1and
October 1981
CONTENTS
I. BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF SENESCENCE
1. The General Biology of Plant Senescence and the
Role of Nucleic Acids in Pro tein Turnover
in the Control of Senescence Processes
which are Genetically Programrned . • . . 1
H. W. Woolhouse
2. Control of Ribonucleic Acid and Enzyme Synthesis
45
During Fruit Ripening
D. Grierson
3. Respiration and Energy Metabolism in Senescing
Plant Tissues . . . . . . . . . • . . . . 61
T. Solomos
4. Enzyme Activities and Post-Harvest Change . • . • . 99
M.J.C. Rhodes
5. Plant Membrane Lipids: Changes and Alterations
During Aging and Senescence . . . . . . . 123
P. Mazliak
6. Hormonal Regulation of Senescence, Ageing,
Fading and Ripening . . . . . . . . . 141
J. Bruinsma
11. CHARACTERISTICS OF SENESCENCE IN SPECIAL CROPS
7. Post Harvest Physiology of Seeds as Related
to Quality and Germinability • . • . 165
D. Came
xi