Postharvest Manual of Cabbage and Chili

8/10/2019 Postharvest Manual of Cabbage and Chili

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PostharvestHandling of

Cabbage andChili Pepperin ASIA


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CONTENTSPostharvest Handling of Cabbage and Chili Pepper in ASIA

Preface. Introduction. Postharvest Handling of Cabbage in Asian countries Cabbage

1. Bangladesh 2. Mongolia 3. Sri Lanka 4. Vietnam

Chinese cabbage

5. Philippines 6. Rep. of Korea

. Postharvest Handling of Chili Pepper in Asian countries

1. Cambodia 2. Lao PDR 3. Indonesia

4. Nepal 5. Thailand


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Preface

The quality of horticultural commodities has been improved due to breeding

and cultivation technologies. However, still a high percentage of horticultural

crops are discarded after harvest because of lack of proper postharvest

management. Postharvest losses in fresh fruits and vegetables are estimated

at 20 to 45% in developing Asian countries.

World consumption of fresh produce has increased as people demandfor healthier foods. We are now aware of the importance of postharvest

technology to maintain quality of fresh fruits and vegetables. In the light of

the ever-growing importance of postharvest technologies, it is very timely and

meaningful to develop postharvest handling manual that can be practically used

in industry in Asian countries. This manual Postharvest Handling of Cabbage

and Chili Pepper in Asia is the 2nd year output of one of the AFACI (Asian Food

& Agricultural Cooperation Initiative) projects, which is being implemented bythe National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science (NIHHS), the Rural

Development Administration (RDA), Republic of Korea.

The manual describes cabbage and chili pepper postharvest handling practices

of 11 countries in Asia which encourage adoption of improved postharvest

handling without high energy cost. We hope this manual contribute to the

reduction in postharvest losses and help increase the value of horticulturalcrops.

Kwan-Dal Ko

Director Genaral,

National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, RDA


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Part

Introduction

Edralina P. Serrano and Ji Gang Kim


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7 . Introduction |

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Cabbage and chili pepper are staple horticultural crops that are widely

grown, traded and consumed in many Asian countries.

The consumer demand for these commodities can be attributed to their

versatile uses, nutritional and health-beneficial properties.

Cabbage is a biennial herb that

belongs to the Brassicaceae family.

The main axis is short and thick.

Leaves become packed as it grows

and develops into a densely or loosely-

packed head". The densely-packed

cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) head

can either be round, flat, cylindrical or

egg-shaped depending on the cultivar.

The leaves are waxy and may vary in

color. The loosely-packed cabbage

(Brassica chinensis ) head is composed

of leaves with many trichomes and

stomates making it susceptible to

lose more moisture than the densely-

packed cultivar.

Edralina P. Serrano and Ji Gang Kim

A. Cabbage

1. Introduction


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Postharvest Handling of Cabbage and Chili Pepper in ASIA8

Nutritional and Anti-nutritional Qualities of Cabbage

Significant amounts of amino acid glutamine with its anti-inflammatory

properties.

Excellent source of Vitamin B and a fair source of Vitamin A.

Vitamin C (60-70 mg/100g edible portion)

Potassium (220mg/100g) ; both Vitamin C and Potassium are highlyconcentrated at the outer than the inner leaves of the cabbage head.

Flavonoid anti-oxidant (in 'Red' variety), known to reduce health risks

like cancer and heart disease.

Goitrin, an anti-nutritional factor, which binds with iodine limiting

human metabolism and possibly lead to goiter disease.

Quality Specifications

Firm, well-developed head

Relatively free fromphysical damage

Free from pest or diseasedamage


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9 . Introduction |

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Quality Defects

Cabbage

Over-trimed Hollow head(Immature)

Physically-damaged

Diseased

Chinese cabbage / Kimchi cabbage

Decay Wilting Chilling injury Pepper spot Browning


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Postharvest Behavior of Cabbage

Harvesting index of cabbage :

-spreading of wrapper leaves and head is

exposed

-firm to touch (compact)

Long shelf-life (6-9 weeks) at 2-5 oC due to:

- overlapping of waxy leaves;

- low respiration and ethylene production.

Responds well to modified atmosphere (MA)

packaging and controlled atmosphere (CA)

storage in 3-5% O 2 and 5-7% CO2.

Prolonged low temperature storage results

in chilling injury symptoms (petiole black

spotting; patchy papery necrosis).

Prone to soft rot disease which can easily be

controlled by the use of 5% alum.


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11 . Introduction |

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Uses of chili peppers:

as condiment in food preparations as spice for many food products as food coloring agent due to its

capsanthin content as anti-inflammatory agent due to its

capsaicin content

Nutritional Qualities

Rich in Vitamin C (in fresh chilli only

because this vitamin is lost during

drying); the level is twice that in

citrus. Vitamin A (345 mg/100 g) Calcium (160 mg/100 g) Phosphorus (370 mg/100 g) Potassium (530 mg/100 g)

B. Chili pepper

Chili pepper ( Capsicum annuum L. ) belongs to the Solanaceae family. There

are a lot of cultivars that belong to C. annuum having fruits of varying color,

shape and degree of pungency (hot or sweet).


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Harvesting Index

Quality Defects

Shiny Green - used in fresh vegetable salad ; astopping in many dishes to impart pungent flavor.

Breaker stage - used as fresh; can be ripened

to the Red Ripe stage by holding at 25 oC for 2-3

days and then dried later.

Red Ripe - the fruits are allowed to ripen on the

plant and usually dried right after harvest.

Chilli

Stem-end rot Soft rot Black mold Anthracnose


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13 . Introduction |

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Part

PostharvestHandling of Cabbagein Asian Countries

Cabbage

-1. Bangladesh

-2. Mongolia

-3. Sri Lanka

-4. Vietnam

Chinese Cabbage

-5. Philippines

-6. Rep. of Korea


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M. K. A. Chowdhury, M. S. Hassan, M. K. Hassan,

S. M. K. Alam, and A. K. Azad

-1. Bangladesh


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1. Cultivation system and postharvest procedure

Handling procedure of cabbage in Bangladesh

Cabbage reaches the hands of consumers through a number of intermediaries ormiddlemen.

The main market actors are growers, small primary traders (Faria), large primarytraders (Bepari), commission agents, wholesalers, retailers and consumers.

The following postharvest handling steps are generally observed for cabbage inBangladesh.

Postharvest handling steps for cabbage in Bangladesh

Packaging and long distancetransportation

Harvest

Unloading (wholesale market)

Distribution (retail sale)

Transport to local assemblymarket

Field packingSorting

Temporary storage(wholesale market)

Sorting and cleaning(wholesale market)


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17. Postharvest handling of Cabbage in Asian countries | Bangladesh

Cultivation system

In Bangladesh, presently around 0.2 million metric tons of cabbage are producedper year from 16.7 thousand ha of land.

Cabbage ranks the 5 th position in terms of total area and production in Bangladesh.

The varieties presently cultivated in Bangladesh are mostly hybrids. Some recentlyintroduced hybrids are Summer Warrior F 1, Summer Star F 1, Autumn Queen F 1,Super Tropic F 1, Summer Boy F 1, Green Ball 40 F1, Supreme Queen F 1, Green 60and Nova F1.

Open pollinated varieties like BARI Cabbage-1 (Provati), BARI Cabbage-2 (Agradut),K-K Cross, K-Y Cross, Tokyo Pound, Atlas 70, Ruby Ball, Drum Head, etc. are alsocultivated.

Red cabbage is also becoming popular in Bangladesh as a salad crop.

Cabbage is generally grown in open field.

Cabbage is grows well at temperature range of 15-20 oC.

Loam to sandy loam soil is suitable for growing cabbage.

Seeds are sown in seedbed in August, September or November for early, mid andlate season cultivation, respectively.

Green and red cabbage grown in Bangladesh


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Seedlings of 30-35 days old are transplanted with spacing 60 cm 45 cm.

Fertilizer Recommendation Guide, 2012 BARC (Bangladesh Agricultural ResearchCouncil) is followed for fertilizer management practices.

Recommended intercultural operations are practiced to grow cabbage. Cabbage looper and Diamondback moth larvae are the major insect pests

Leaf spots and black rot are the major diseases.

Combination of IPM and chemical control are practiced to manage pests and diseases.

Cabbage heads become harvestable within 60-90 days after transplanting.

The average yield is 75-100 tons per ha.

Cultivation of cabbage in open field


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2. Postharvest handling of cabbage in the field

Determination of harvesting time

Heads (edible part of cabbage) having various varietal shapes are harvested whenthey attain reasonable size.

Matured heads are compact and not depressed by finger pressure while immatureheads are loosely formed and depressed by finger pressure.

Matured heads produce metallic sound on finger stroke while immature headsproduce dull sound.

Premature heads may be harvested for higher profits for early market.

Immature or over mature heads are not suitable for marketing because they lacknutritional and postharvest quality.

Matured (left) and immature (right) cabbage heads.


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Time of day for harvesting

Cabbage is harvested on a clear and sunny day.

The optimum time of harvesting is in the morning because of prevailing lowtemperature with high humidity and absence of scorching sunshine.

2-2. Harvesting

Heads are cut using a sharp knife or sickle leaving (half) inch of the stem.Excessively long and protruding stems may cause bruises to other heads duringsubsequent postharvest handling..

Prior to harvesting, insect damaged and yellowish outer leaves are removed.

Harvested cabbages are not left on the ground touching the soil to avoidcontamination with dirt, harmful microbes or heavy metals.

It is suggested not to use bamboo baskets to avoid bruising by the sharp edges ofthe baskets which causes rapid quality deterioration.

Considering the existing situation, bamboo baskets can be used with proper liningmaterials like newspaper or soft clothes to reduce damage during transportation.

Cutting tools and harvesting containers should be regularly sanitized using ordinarydetergent or bleaching solution.

2-3. Field packing

Harvested heads are usually held in clean container like plastic crates or plasticbuckets or plastic net bags.


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2-4. Transport from farm to packing shed/market

For local transportation, cabbage heads are to be packed in plastic crates or plastic

net bags or bamboo baskets and quickly transferred to the packing shed or nearbyassembly market.

Paper or cloth liners are used, especially for bamboo baskets, to minimize physicaldamage.

Cabbages are covered with nylon net or cloth during local transportation to preventheat damage as a result of direct exposure to sunlight.

Presently practiced modes of local transportation of cabbage


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3. Packinghouse Operations Prior to Marketing.

3-1. Pre-cooling Pre-cooling is an important postharvest practice which helps maintain quality and

extends shelf life of cabbage. Forced air cooling is the best option to remove fieldheat from the solid heads.

As much as possible, heads that are brought to the packing shed are precooled firstto remove field heat.

Forced air cooling is the best option to remove field heat from the solid heads.

Growers are strongly suggested to hold harvested cabbage under shade and coolplace of their house prior to or during packaging and transportation to the localassembly markets.

3-2. Sorting During sorting insect infested, diseased, rotten, damaged and bruised heads are

removed. Sorting is practiced in a cool place of the packing shed.

In the absence of structured packing shed, growers perform sorting operation incool and shady place of their house or in the field to maintain postharvest quality.

3-3. Grading Growers are suggested to grade cabbage into large, medium and small sizes for

the convenience of the buyers.

Prior to grading, the older outer leaves are removed leaving only 3-4 intact wrapperleaves.

Insect damaged, diseased, yellowish and older outer leaves are removed duringgrading.


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3-4. Packaging For local transport, heads are packed in jute bags or plastic net bags or bamboo

baskets. Paper or cloth liners are used for bamboo baskets to minimize damage. For long distance transport, large sized plastic crates are used to reduce damage

and to maintain quality. Paper or plastic liners are commonly used inside the cratesto minimize injury and weight loss.

The packaging materials are ensured intact and clean to prevent contamination bymicroorganisms, insects and heavy metals.

3-5. Long Distance Transport

Care is normally taken during loading of cabbage for long distance transportusing wrapping materials like paper or soft fabric to minimize damage due tocompression, vibration and internal heat generation.

The best option of transportation of cabbage is the use of refrigerated vehicle.

Presently practiced packaging of cabbage in plastic sack (left), andplastic crate for improved packaging (right)


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Considerations Made for Efficient Transport

Transport vehicle not overloaded.

Cabbage should not be mix-loaded with other high ethylene liberating fruits likebananas, tomatoes, papaya, etc., which results in leaf discoulartion and reducedshelf life.

Use of strong and durable packages.

Packages should be aligned properly.

Vibration damage should be reduced by using plastic crates, liners and padding.

Ventilation should be ensured to prevent heat generation during transportation.

Rough handlings during loading and unloading should be avoided and workersshould not stand upon the produce.

Crates should be loaded in uniform stacks and braced securely.

The entire load should be covered with light-colored and thick canvas.

Open truck, predominantly used for bulk and long distance transportation(left) and refrigerated Reefer Truck of Hortex Foundation (right)


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3-6. Storage

For storage, cabbage are harvested at proper stage of maturity.

Cabbage can be stored at 0 oC and 98-100% RH for 4-16 weeks; at 4 oC and 80-90%RH for 4-6 weeks; and at 20 oC and 60-70% RH for 1 week. The best storage andtransit temperature for cabbage is 0-4 oC.

Considerations Made for Effective Storage

Cabbages to be stored are to be harvested at proper maturity stage.

Recommended temperature and relative humidity should be maintained.

The storage room not overloaded.

Adequate ventilation in storage rooms should be ensured. The storage room should always be kept clean.

Cabbage which is ethylene sensitve commodity should not be held with ethyleneproducing fruits such as apple, banana, papaya, etc.

Produce should be regularly inspected to sort out damaged produce.

Presently practiced temporary storage of cabbage in open sun without anycooling facilities (left) and in shady place (right)


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3-7. Quality deterioration of cabbage

Cabbage is highly perishable vegetable crop.

Quality of cabbage deteriorates quickly due to water loss, desiccation, wilting,microbial infection, etc. if proper postharvest practices are not followed.

Postharvest loss occurs at various stages of postharvest operations (Table 1).

The principal causes of postharvest loss and quality deterioration are inadequateinfrastructurefor postharvest handling, increased postharvest physiologicalprocesses (respiration, ethylene production and transpiration), improperpostharvest handling and microbial decay.

Good (A & B) and poor (C) quality cabbage


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Table 1. Postharvest losses of cabbage in traditional supply chain in Bangladesh

Supply chainactors

Postharvest loss(%) Major causes of loss

Growers 6.14

Insect damage Microbial decay Lack of proper handling Improper harvesting

Collector( Bepari ) 5.04

Lack of sorting Bulk transportation without proper packaging Mixed loading Lack of awareness on proper handling

Wholesalers 4.46 Improper handling Lack of sorting and grading facilities Lack of storage facilities

Retailers 5.16 Lack of storage facilities No or delayed sale Unhygienic market conditions

Consumers 4.14 Lack of refrigerator in most house holds Improper packaging Ignorance about packaging and storage

Total loss 24.94 -


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3-8. Effectiveness of improved postharvest handling

Comparison of postharvest handling

Table 2. Comparison of different technologies for postharvest handling

Postharvestprocedure

Conventionaltechnology

Improved/standardtechnology

Harvestingmaturity forstorage

Head compact and firm Head compact and firm

Field packingcontainer

Bamboo baskets, plasticsacks, jute sacks Plastic crates, net bags

Weight ofcontainer in thefield

Bamboo basket (20-40 kg)Plastic sack (20-40 kg) Plastic crates (40-60 kg)

Cooling Ambient condition(in cool and shady place)Mechanical pre-cooling(forced air cooling)

Sorting Quality Size, colour, quality

Grading Size Size, colour, quality

Packagingmaterials

Bamboo basketsPlastic sacksJute sacks

Plastic cratesCardboard boxes (rigid)

Weight ofpackaging Plastic sack (40-60 kg) Plastic crates (40-60 kg)

Storagetemperature andhumidity

Ambient 0-4oC temperature and

98-100% RH

TransportationIn open mini or largetrucks at ambientcondition

Controlled temperaturein refrigerated vehicles

Postharvest losses The estimatedpostharvest loss is 25%

No report is availablebut postharvest losswould be greatlyminimized underimproved technology.


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4. New postharvest technology to extend storage lifeof cabbage

Cabbage is a perishable leafy vegetable and is spoiled due to various reasons likemicrobial infections and water loss.

Bacterial soft rot during storage and marketing is the most serious problem.

Shelf-life of cabbage can be prolonged by applying lime paste (lime in water at aratio of 1:1) or alum paste (15 g potassium aluminum sulphate in 100 L water) tothe stem butt end immediately after harvesting and sealing in PP bags with 0.5%perforations.

Shelf-life of the treated cabbage was significantly extended (14-15 days) overuntreated control (6-7 days).

AuthorsMd. Khalequzzaman Akanda Chowdhury [Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council]

Mian Sayeed Hassan [Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council]

Md. Kamrul Hassan [Bangladesh Agricultural University]

Sultan Mahmud Khorshed Alam [Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council]

Abul Kalam Azad [Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council]


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Yesun Erdene Davaasuren

-2. Mongolia


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31. Postharvest handling of Cabbage in Asian countries | Mongolia

1. Postharvest procedures and cultivation system

Postharvest handling procedure of cabbage in the Mongolia

Cabbage is supplied to consumers through a number of intermediaries ormiddlemen.

The following postharvest handling steps are generally observed for cabbage inMongolia.

Post-harvest handling steps for cabbage

Harvest

Weighing

wholesale

PipelineTo pickle vegetable

packing

Temprorarystoroge

Consumers

Field Sorting

Transportation

Retall market

Harvest field sorting field packing and weighing Transportation Temprorarystoroge - Wholesale market Retail market - Repack Consumers

Harvested cabbages Field sorting field packing and weighing Transportation Proceccing factory Supermarket Consumers


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Every year we harvest 20-30 thousand tons of cabbage and 50 thousand tons ofcabbage is imported.

VarietyEarly maturity (Number pyervyi -147) and medium late maturity (Byelorusskaya-85,Shirkhentseg-13) varieties are the ones selected and adapted.

Production of cabbage

Import(mthous. fonn)

Import. (%)

Domestic production(%)

46% 51% 42% 38% 39%

54% 49% 58% 62% 61%

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

2118

25

3432

Cultivation system

Cabbage production

In Mongolia, cabbage, Chinese mustard, Pekin cabbage are widely cultivated. Whitecabbage is very common in Russia and Mongolia.


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2-1. Harvesting

Determination of harvesting time/ harvest maturity

Early maturing and mid-late varieties can be harvested late of July. The crop isharvested when the heads attain their full size and become firm and hard buttender. The colour of the head is sometimes used as a maturity index.

A fully developed head has a lighter shade of green. The crop for picking areharvested when the cover leaves curl back, and the white leaves beneath areexposed. If harvesting is delayed, the heads may split and rots may occur while theheads harvested early may be soft.

The crop for the fresh market is harvested by hand with a knife or sickle. The headsare cut off in such a way that a few of the large, open wrapper leaves are left forprotection around the heads. Most of the stem is left on the head if the crop is to bestored.


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2-2. Transport of cabbage from farm to storage house

Loading and transportation

Cabbages are transportated to storage room or market by truck that has covermaterial.

2-3. Postharvest handling inside the storage house

Storage

Storing cabbage correctly is important to preserve its quality.

Proper storage methods will help slow down the respiration of the cabbage.

There are 2 types of storage system for cabbage, freezing and keeping at controlledatmosphere storage.


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During the storage, influential main conditions are humidity, temperature, aeration,and light condition.

Cabbasge is stored under dark condition in order to prevent humidity losses and the

production and emission of chemical substances.The optimum storage temperature for cabbage is 0-2C and relative humidity of 90 %to 98 %. Cabbage to be stored are ensured to be mature and disease-free and havebeen exposed to prolonged frost or cold.

Middle-late, late variety of cabbage can be stored in controlled atmosphere storageand will lasts for 6 months. Red cabbage is more resistant than white cabbage.

In the controlled atmosphere storage, the cabbage heads are heaped up to 3m high.The heap is formed from individual wire basket 0.5-0.6m high and 1m wide.

Preparing the storage: the storage area is ensured clean, dry and the section ofstorage such as shelves, floor, window, etc., are repaired.

Disinfecting the storage: 30-40 days before storing crops, the storage area isdisinfected by 10% chlorinated lime solution and fumigated with sulpur 20-30 g/m 3.

Chemical disinfection: In order to control microorganism that are disease-causing,spraying with 1% of sulpur, bluestone and 40% of formalin solution is usually done.

Changes during storage: When cabbage is stored, certain transformations arise suchas physiological and biochemical changes and weigh loss, as well.

Requirement for storing cabbage: Of good quality, having 2-3 outer leaves intact forprotection and having about 4-5 cm stem length.


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Maintenance during storage: Temperature and RH settings are checked regularly. Atcertain time intervals, samples are obtained from storage to determine if there is aneed to re-sort or not.

3. Research result

Research for determing yield of early maturing and middle-late maturing varieties ofwhite cabbage in Shariin gol and Zuunkharaa soums in 2012-2013.

Yields of major varieties of cabbage

Names of the varietyPlateau harvest

Yield (tons perhectare/centner Excess of yield

Total Commodity Total Commodity ha %

Number one-147 /check/ 30.5 18.3 118.1 69.5

Iyunskaya-3200 31.3 23.4 117.3 87.1 25.3 115.1

Belorusion- 455 40.5 19.9 159.4 78.2

Shirkhentseg-13 /check/ 59.9 32.6 230.9 126.6

Slava1305 35.2 22.3 135.7 85.9

Slava 231 85.0 59.9 311.5 219.7 80.6 73.5

Camennaya golobka 447 9.8 7.1 36.8 24.5

Cammennaya golobka 10.6 5.7 37.8 20.3

From the above given research, yeilds of selected varietis are almost same level, butearly maturing Iyunskaya variety was high in commodity yield with 87.1%.

From the middle-late varieties, Slava 231 was high for the all parameters examined.

4. Quality Specifications and Requirements

4-1. First class cabbage : no more than 5 % of weight loss

Cabbage heads infested with cabbage flies and slugs are not accepted. Cabbage for salting can have leaves that may be slightly cracked.


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Cabbage heads with no protective outer leaves is sold as second class.

4-2. Irrigation should be stopped 14 days before harvest

Only secondary, dinner and late harvest cabbages are suitable for winter storage.

Cabbage procured commercially are cleaned and trimmed to remove outer rottenleaves; but the weight is not less than 0.6 kg.

4-3. Packaging , labeling and transport

Round, white cabbage, potatoes and vegetables follow the YCT 262-82 standards forpackaging, labeling and transport protocols.

Poster on postharvest procedure of cabbage


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Kalehe Sarananda Hewage

-3. Sri Lanka

Cabbage Cultivation Cabbage Harvesting


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39. Postharvest handling of Cabbage in Asian countries | Sri Lanka

1. Pre harvest operations which affect postharvestquality of cabbage

Fungal and bacterial rots rapidly spread in the field and these rots can spread inharvested heads.

Hence field sanitation is always maintained before harvesting.

Maturity indices used for harvesting:

1) Full formation of head (partially formed heads are immature)

2) Firmness of the head

3) No cracks on head (Over mature heads tend to crack)

Mature head ready for harvest Mature head (firm)

Bacterial/ fungal rots Fungal rot


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Harvesting procedure adopted for the local market.

Harvesting

Transport to retailmarkets

Consumers

Packaging inpslysack bags

Transport to thecollection center

Trimming

Transport to thewholesale market

Field packing Trimming in the field.


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3. Postharvest handling of cabbage

Problems associated with the current method used to supply oflocal wholesale market.

1) Excessive postharvest loss due to

Mechanical injuries.

Fungal rot / Bacterial rot.

Early senescence.

Losses due to improper packaging

Losses during transport


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Postharvest handling of cabbage for super markets and export.

1) Pre-harvest factors :

Field sanitation.

Maintenance of a healthy crop.

Folloing proper pre harvest interval is given (more than 2 weeks) for foodsafety.

Harvesting Partial Trimming Packaged in plasticcrates.

Grading basedon size Pack - house

Transport to thepack - house

Packaging in plasticcrates or corrugated

fiberboard boxes

Transported inrefrigerated lorries

Supermarket/ Airfreight

TrimmingCleaningNo washing


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Very few pack houses are located in growing areas forpackaging of cabbage for super market and export

Packaging Package

Pack - house Trimming

Chinese cabbage Red cabbage


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Suggestions for improved postharvest handling practices forthe local wholesale market.

Pre - harvest sanitation.

Harvesting when heads are firm.

Never harvest when dew is present. Head musts be free from excess moistureon its surface.

Trimming in the field (Not full clean)

Allow a few wrapper leaves around the head to absorb mechanical injuriesduring transport.

Use ventilated poly-sack bags but the maximum weight of the package must be30kg.

Packages must be move to a shady place.

Transport them in ventilated lorries.

Transport quickly as possible.

Practices adopted to maintain the quality of cabbage Producedfor super market / exports.

Pre - harvest sanitation.

Harvesting when heads are firm.

Never harvest when dew is present. Head must be free from excess moisture onits surface.

Allow a few wrapper leaves around the head to absorb mechanical injuriesduring transport to the pack - house.

Pack them in large or jumbo plastic crates.

Do not expose to hot sun or rain.

Transport them in ventilated lorries.

Transport to the pack house early as possible.


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Trim them carefully.

Grade them based on size/variety.

Pack them in either plastic crates or corrugated fiber board boxes.

Individual head wrapping with polyethylene sheet maintain the quality better.

Transport them in refrigerated condition preferably 1012 oC

Healthy cabbage for export Mature cabbage head for export

Field level trimming for export

Field packaging fir exoirt


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47. Postharvest handling of Cabbage in Asian countries | Vietnam

Nguyen Van Phong and Nguyen Van Hoa

-4. Vietnam


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Postharvest handling procedures of cabbages in Vietnam.

Cultivation system of cabbages in Vietnam

Postharvest handling conducted by collectors/growers/cooperatives

Harvest

Gradings

FieldDrying

Trimmings&

Drying

FieldPackings

Receivingcabbage at

PH

Transportation &Distributions

Transportation to Packing

House

Transportation &DistributionsPackings

TemporaryStrorage

Cabbages are planted from cabbage seedlings and grown in open fields Cabbage seedlings are produced in net house by seedling producers

Cabbage seedlings Cabbage fields

CabbageSeeds

CabbageFields

CabbageSeedlings


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2-1. Harvesting time

2-2. Harvesting The head is manually harvested by bending

it to one side and cutting it with a knife.

The stalk is cut flat and as close to the headas possible, yet long enough to retain two tofour wrapper leaves.

All rotten or damaged outer leaves removed.


Harvest maturity is defined by planting datecomputation and the heading formation ofcabbage.

Cabbage is harvested when the head is fullyrounding and firm; the wrapper leaves arespread.


Cabbage is harvested on a clear day.

Early morning is the best time of day toharvest cabbage.

The head of cabbage is till immature

The head of cabbage is mature

Cabbage harvesting

Some various harvesting practices of cabbage in Vietnam


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2-3 Drying and field packing

Drying cabbage in the field

Drying is used to remove condensed waterin leaf hollows and on the head surfacewhen harvested at early mornings.

Drying is done by placing the harvestedheads turn upside down without contactwith soil for 2-3 hours in the field.

A carefully and completely trimming/removal of extra wrapper leaves, all rotten/damaged leaves, long stalks and under

quality/grades is necessary for cabbagebefore field packing using carton boxes (20-25 kg).

For other packing types using big plasticcrates/ wire-bound crates or mesh bags(25-50 kg), retaining two to four wrapperleaves is necessary for preventing physicaldamages during transportation.

Field Packing

Field packing of cabbage in Vietnam is made for distribution directly intoconsumption markets or transportation to packing house.

Cabbage drying

Trimming & packing in carton boxes

Packing in mesh bags Packing in wire-bound crates Packing in plastic crates


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2-4 Transport of cabbage

Transport of cabbage from farm to

packing house or directly to marketsshould be done at cool temperatureperiods of the harvesting day (during themorning or late afternoon).

Trucks or any vehicle could be used fortransportation of cabbage depending onavailability and infrastructure conditionof production region.

Sanitizing transportation vehicles before use, using covering net and carefullyloading up into the truck/vehicles (avoid over loading) are necessary to protectcabbage during transportation.

Field packed cabbage boxes loaded upinto a truck for transportation to markets

Cabbage packed in mesh bags and being loaded up

into a truck to packing house

Cabbage transportation by using a truck


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3. Postharvest Handling of Cabbage inside Packinghouse With some supply chains of cabbage in Vietnam such as for export, supper markets

or fresh fruit/vegetable shops for sale, packing house is necessary to ensureproduct quality under control.

3-1. Receiving cabbage at packing house

3-2. Trimming and Drying

Trimming is done by hand with a sharp knife.

Trimming is to cut off extra wrapper leaves, all rotten/damaged leaves, and toflatten and shorten the stalk.

A fter t rimming,c a b b a g e s a r eplaced in 25kgplastic crates andair dried under anelectric fan.

H arvested cabbage are transportedto packing house as soon as possible

(within harvesting day). Unloading of cabbage from the

trucks/ transportation vehicles is donecarefully to avoid physical damages.

A quick evaluation is necessary to sortout defective cabbages .

Once the cabbageheads are recceived,these are stored in a cool place with

good ventilation.

Receiving cabbage at packing house

Make flat and shorten for the stalkRemoval of wrapper leaves


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3-3. Grading Grading cabbage is done by using an electronic balance.

In Vietnam, cabbages is divided into three grades depending upon varieties. Grade : 2-4 kg Grade : 1-2 kg Grade 1 kg

3-4. Packing

Two types of packaging containers are used for cabbage: perforated carton boxes(12-20 kg) and mesh bags (25-30 kg).

Wrapping with paper is necessary to protect cabbage from physical damages incase of packing with mesh bags.

Wrapping with PVC film before packing cabbage is also used to reduce water lossand other benefits for cabbage during distribution and marketing.

Cabbage is wrapped with paper and packed in mesh bag Cabbage is packed in perforated carton box

Cabbage is wrapped withshrinkable PVC film and packed in

perforated carton box


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3-5. Storage Storage life of cabbage can be extended longer by 3 months at 2-10oC, RH=92-95%.

However, with year round availability and with no big difference in supply demandand price, long term storage of cabbage is not recommended in Vietnam.

3-6. Transportation and distribution Cabbage packed in packing house is transported and distributed by using non/

refrigerated trucks.

For cabbage stored in coolstore at 2-10 oC, transport&distribution make use ofrefrigerated truck set at 10 oC to prevent condensation.

Short term storage of cabbage incoolstores is necessary to be proactivein transportation and distribution.

Storage temperature condition of2-10oC and RH (92-95%) are appliedfor cabbage for short-term storage

(within 1-3 weeks).

Cabbage is transported by refrigerated truck Cabbage is transported by non-refrigerated truck

Use of coolstore set 2-10oC, RH

92-95% for short term storage


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3-7. Postharvest handling procedure of cabbage

Harvesting maturity

Drying

Harvesting

Trimming/cutting

Transportation &distribution to markets

Receiving in Packinghouse

Drying in field

Field packing

Transportation &distributionStorage of cabbagePacking forms of cabbage

PACKINGHOUSES

No storage

Short termstorage

Temp: 2-10 oC;RH: 92-95 %

Non-refrigerated

truck

Refrigeratedtruck

GRADING


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4. Improper practices and losses/deteriorations ofpostharvest cabbage

No Improperpractices In-direct/direct losses

1

\

Immature harvest

Reduction in yield Soft cabbage head and sensitive to

handling damage.

Shortened shelf life.

2

Delaying harvest

Results in split heads Increased incidence of field

diseases Speeds up in fes ta t ions of

Alternaria leaf spot and downymildew, particularly during rainyseason.

3

Improper stalk cutting

Increased incidence of postharvestdiseases

Speeds up deterioration due togrowing pathogen, increasedrespiration & water loss.


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No Improperpractices In-direct/direct losses

4

Improper trimming of diseasedand dried leaves

Increased incidence of rot diseases Speeds up deteriorations due to

decaying

5

Improper packing

Prone to handling damages Speeds up deterioration due to

damages

6

Use of unsuitable package

Results in physical damages Increased quantity and quality

losses.


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5. Effectiveness of improved postharvest handling

Comparison of postharvest handlingTable 1: Comparisons between conventional and improved postharvest management


Conventionaltechnology Improved technology

HARVESTING & FIELD POSTHARVEST HANDLINGS

Harvestingindex

By observing the headingformation of cabbage

By using both the planted datecomputation and the heading

formation of cabbageHarvesting time

of the day Any time of the dayDuring the cool and dry times in

day(at early morning)

Harvesting By hand By hand

Drying in field None By placing the harvested headsturned upside down for 2-3 hrs

Field Packing

Very diversiform Only trim off some extra

leaves and then packed inbig mesh bags (40-50 kg). C u t o f f c o m p l e t e l y

external leaves and stalkand then packed in bigmesh bags (40-50 kg).

C u t o f f c o m p l e t e l yexternal leaves andstalk and then packedin perforated carton box(12-20 kg)

Cut off rotted/damaged leavesand then packed in big meshbags (30-40 kg) or big wire-bound crates/plastic crate (30-50 kg)

Transportation &distributions

Use of vehicles availablelike small tru ck,bikesetc.to transport cabbagefrom field.

Field-packed cabbage istransported to packinghouse or directly toconsumption markets.

Use of s mall trucks fortransporting cabbage

Cabbage packed in meshbags is a lso used fortransporting and distributionto local markets.


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Perlita A. Nuevo & Matilde V. Maunahan

- 5. Philippines


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61. Postharvest handling of Cabbage in Asian countries | Philippines


Postharvest handling procedure of cabbage in the Philippines.

* This cabbage is also known as Napa, Wombok, pechay Baguio, Kimchi cabbage,Chinese pechay or Chinese cabbage.

Harvest

Distribute

Load /stack

re-pack weigh,label

TrimPack

Display

Haul Weigh

At trading postsort, trim, wrap,pack, weigh

Bulk load

At packinghouseinspect, re-sort

Transport

Temporaryholding

Mixload Transport Distribute


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Cultivation system

Wombok cabbage is grown in the highlands

2. Postharvest handling of Wombok cabbage in the field


Determination of harvesting time/ harvest maturity

Readiness of harvest depends on size of plant and fullness of head

Days from planting (60 65 days from planting)


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2-2. Harvesting

Harvesting method Harvesting is done when

majority of the plants areready, based on plant sizeand fullness of head.

C a b b a g e h e a d s a r eharvested manually andplaced on bare ground.

The use of harvestinggloves and a clean andsharp knife is importantduring harvest.

A liner on the groundis provided to preventcabbage from directlytouching the soil.


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2-3. Packing

Field packing

Hauling

Wrapping cabbage with newsprintand field packing in polybag.

Cabbage trimmed, wrapped andpacked in the field has prolongsstorage life.

Over-packed cabbageheads in bamboo basketsecurely tied with plastictwine are hauled manuallydown the roadside.


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Bulk transport

Bulk loading

Bulk transport of cabbage from thefarm to the trading post. Cabbageheads on rooftop are partially coveredwith tarpaulin.

Top loading is a common practiceto minimize transport cost andmaximize volume. However, quality iscompromised.

From the bamboo basket,the cabbage heads arebulk-loaded in a truckparked on the roadside.


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2-5. Postharvest handling inside the packing house

Sorting and trimming at the packinghouse

For institutional buyers suchas supermarkets, packedcabbage heads are unloaded

and sorted according to sizeand quality.

The sorting table usually hassmooth edges to minimizedamage.

Heads are individually packedwith cling wrap.


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Sorting according to size and quality

Very small

Diseased and insect-damaged

Head not fully developed(immature)


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Trimming

Damaged leaves are cutwith a clean knife.

A clean and sharp knife isused in trimming the butt-end of cabbage.


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Wrapping

Wrapping with newsprintfor the wholesale marketis done at the tradingpost.

For the supermarket,c a b b a g e h e a d s a r eindividually packed usingcling wrap.


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Packaging at the trading post

Wrapped cabbages are packed inpolyethylene bag.

The capacity of a polyethylene bag is10-15 kg. This is called a bundle.


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Weighing at the trading post

Sorted, trimmed and wrapped cabbage headsare packed and weighed in 10-15kg capacitypolybags.

Hauling at the trading post

Packed cabbage heads are hauled inthe marketplace.

use of a wooden cart which is liftedon one side and manually pulled orpushed.


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Temporary holding at the trading post

Packed cabbage heads fromthe truck are temporarilystacked on the ground.

Temporary holding ofpacked cabbage at thetrading post before loadingfor the Metro Manilamarkets.

Packs are exposed to thesun or rain.

Packed cabbage mustbe stacked securely toprevent toppling down.


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Weighing and recording at the packinghouse

Inspection / checking at ther packinghouse

Weighing and recordingis done upon receipt ofcabbage at the packinghouse.

Random inspect ion /checking of purchasedcabbage for transport toMetro Manila and distributionto supermarkets.


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Transport

Loading and stacking

Cabbage heads together with othervegetables are transported in non-refrigerated truck (a)

refrigerated (b) vehicle.

Loading of packed cabbagein non-refrigerated truck.

The practice of stackingboxes of lettuce on topof packed cabbage andobstructing the cold ventis improper.

Loading of packed cabbagein refrigerated truck.


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Retail selling (ambient in wet markets and air-conditioned in supermarkets)

Retail selling of cabbage at the trading post (a) and at the supermarket (b).

Low temperature storage

Wombok cabbage can be stored at low temperature (12C) for 10 weeks if fieldpacked or 2 weeks if not.

a b


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Postharvest handling procedure for cabbage bound for wetmarkets in the Philippines

At the field

At the trading post

Harvesting

Wrapping Sorting Trimming

PackagingWeighing

Temporaryholding

Bulk transport

Loading

Transport

Field packing Hauling


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Transport retail

delivery inspection /checking weighing

re-packing trimming sorting

Postharvest handling procedure for cabbage bound for thesupermarket in the Philippines

from the trading post, packed cabbage heads are brought to the packinghouse.


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Postharvest handling procedure for Wombok cabbage in thePhilippines (Market)

Wholesale bundle pack (10-15 kg/pack)

Retail

Cabbage heads sold in wet markets(ambient)are not packed individually with cling wrap (a)

unlike those sold in air- conditionedsupermarkets (b)


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4. Effectiveness of improved postharvest handling


Table 1. Comparison of different technologies for postharvest handling




Harvesting Bare hands and knife Use of gloves and sharp andclean knife

Packing

Short storage life

(2 weeks at 12C)Bulk

Prolonged storage

(10 weeks at 12C)Field packing

Hauling Use of bamboo basket(60 kg/ container)Use of plastic crate

(25 kg/ container)

Transport from farm Bulk Crated

Sorting size, color, quality size, color, maturity, quality

Trimming Manual Use of clean knife

Packaging PEB(horizontal)Use of crates Upright position

Upside down

Temporary holding Exposed to sun and rain Packinghouse

Storagetemperature( oC) Ambient 12

Transportation Ambient temperature Refrigerated


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Table 2. Comparison of postharvest losses between different technologies




HarvestingPacking at the field

(%)

Packed at trading post47

Field packed28

Packing(%)

In polybagsHorizontal

47

In cratesUpside down

36

Cleaning ofbutt-end

(%)

29 27

At retail(%)

No wrapping29

Individually packed with cling wrap27

Average(%) 38 30

Storage periodat 12C 2 weeks 10 weeks

Losses are based from experiments done.

Market losses

Storage losses

Improved quality ofcabbage if field packed


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Rep. of Korea

Ji Gang Kim and Hyun Jin Choi

-6. Rep. of Korea


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1. Postharvest procedures and Cultivation system

Postharvest handling procedure of Kimchi cabbage in Korea

Cultivation system

Postharvest handling of Kimchi cabbage harvested in fall and winter seasons:* Field drying is not performed for Spring and Summer cabbages* Cooling and drying is performed in late spring and summer seasons

In general Kimchi cabbage is grown in open fields.

Some Kimchi cabbages harvested in spring season are grown in vinyl greenhouse.

Field cultivation Vinyl greenhouse

For only fall and winter cabbages

Harvest

Drying /CoolingStorage

Fielddrying

Fieldpacking

Transportation tostorage rooms

Bulk MApackaging

Temperaturecontrol

Sorting andPackaging

Transportation tomarket


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85. Postharvest Handling of Cabbage in Asian Countries | Re. of Korea

2. Postharvest handling of Kimchi cabbage in the field


Determination of harvesting time for long term storage

Cabbage is harvested when the head isalmost full and firm (not too firm)

Harvest maturity is defined by the rate of

head formation of cabbage- About 80% of head formation of cabbage isrecommended for long term storage


Cabbage is harvested on a clear day.

Early morning is the best time of day to harvest cabbage in Summer season

Harvesting is carried out in the late morning or afternoon, when leaves are lessturgid particularly in the Winter season


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2-2. Harvesting

Harvesting work

The stalk at the base of the head is cut witha sharp knife

The cutting knife is sterilized before use incabbage field.

-Wash with soap andbrush, then dip into thesanitizing agent.

Workers wear disposable rubber glove orcotton glove.

Drying cabbage in the field

Cabbages are placed in the field without soil contact for a couple of hours to allowtemporary wilting of the leaves that leads to minimal physical damage duringhandling.

All rotten or damaged outer leaves and space heads are cut-off so that their leavesdo not touch each other.


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2-3. Packing

Cabbages are harvested by hand and put directly and carefully into plastic crate ornet pouches made of nylon.- Outer leaves of sound cabbage are removed and packed in the field.

Net pouches are used for retail market and short term storage.

Plastic crate packaging is used for Kimchi processing and long term storage.- Four to six cabbage heads are packed in the crate.- Plastic crates do not bring about significant physical damage to packed cabbages.

Crate should be clean without foreign materials that can cause contamination.

Crates which are of the same size and shape are used.

Cabbage is packed in net bag

Cabbage is packed in plastic crate


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Cabbages are transported to the storage house on the day of harvest. The cabbages in plastic crates are handled gently at all times with special care

taken in handling and moving.

The cabbages are covered with a plastic net and transported during the morning orlate afternoon to prevent heat damage or avoid sun light.

Cabbages packed in plastic crates are stacked carefully into the truck. Sheets of newspapers are placed between net pouches to absorb excess moisture

particularly during the summer season.

Transport of cabbage packed in plastic crate

Transport of cabbage packed in net pouches in Summer season


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2-5. Storage

Storage

Fresh, harvested cabbages are placedin a cool area or under shade of plants .

Cabbages harvested in summer arepre-cooled to reduce the temperatureand air-dried in a cool area.-Summer harvest cabbages can be placedat about 10 OC and dried with electricalfans for 1-2 days.

Cabbages are inspected if there aredamaged and decayed heads in theplastic crate.

Bulk MA packaging using micro hole

film can be used for long term storage.-Cabbage crates are covered with thefilm after cabbage-temperature is down.

The optimum storage temperaturesdiffer depending on cultivar and harvestseasons.-Storage temperature of 0-2 OC with about90% relative humidity is recommendedfor Kimchi cabbage.

-Kimchi cabbage harvested in Summerseason are not stored at lower than 0 OCto prevent severe chilling injury.

-Kimchi cabbage harvested in Winter arestored at a temperature of 0 to 1 OC.

Over-mature or late harvested cabbagesare not stored for long term.

Drying

Short term storage

Long term storage

Bulk MA packaging


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Bulk MA packaging during the storage of Kimchi cabbage

Use of MA-MH packaging for Kimchi cabbage

MA/MH : Modified Atmosphere/Modified Humidity

Effect of the MA-MH packaging film on the quality of cabbage- Less chilling injury, Less decay, Higher visual quality

The cost of purchasing the MA/MH film and labor is expensive

Use of low cost micro hole films

- The cost is almost the same as the cost of conventional film- lower decay rate and chilling injury and higher sensorial appearance compared to cabbage treated with conventional technology.

Control Conventional PE filmwith holes

MA/MH packagingfilm

Micro hole film for storage of Kimchi cabbage


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Decay

- When temperature is high- When RH is high (use of improper plastic film cover)- Outer leaves touch each other

2-6. Quality deterioration of Kimchi cabbage

Quality changes during the storage

Wilting- When RH is low, Weight loss is high


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Chilling injury- When temperature is low- Cultivar is sensitive to the thetemperature

Pepper spot development-The spot occur in the field- However, the symptom develop during

cold storage


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2-7. Postharvest handling procedure of Kimchi cabbage

Improved postharvest handling procedure of Kimchi cabbage harvested in Fall season.

Harvestingmaturity

Harvesting

Short term storage Plastic cratepackaging

for long term storage

Mid-term storage

TransportationDrying for longterm storage

After 4 month storageof Kimchi cabbage

Long term storage

Drying in field Net packaging forshort term storage


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2-8. Effectiveness of improved postharvest handling


Table 1. Comparison of different technology for postharvest handling




Harvestingmaturityfor long termstorage (%)

80-90 of head formation ofcabbage

80 of head formation ofcabbage

Field postharvesthandling None Field drying

Field packingmaterial Nylon net pouch Plastic crate

Transportation General truck

General truck

with rain proof cover orshade net

Cooling /Drying None Cooling in summer,Drying in fall and winter

Bulk MA storage None Bulk MA with micro holes

Storagetemperature( OC) 0~2

-0.5~0 in winter,0~1 in summer

Postharvest lossesafter 3 monthstorage(%)

39.2 24.0


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Part

Postharvest Handlingof Chili Pepper in AsianCountries

-1. Cambodia

-2. Lao PDR

-3. Indonesia

-4. Nepal

-5. Thailand


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CAMBODIA

Som Lon and Man Sotheavy

-1. Cambodia


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1. Cultivation system and postharvest procedures

Postharvest handling procedure of chili pepper in Cambodia

Cultivation system

Postharvest handling of chili pepper harvested in dry and wet seasons

In general chili peppers are grown in open fields.

Some chili peppers harvested in rainy season are grown in vinyl greenhouse

Harvest

CleaningSorting

Fieldpacking

Weighing

Collectingat packing

house

Packaging

Transportationto packing

house

Temporarystorage

Transportation tomarket

Field cultivation Vinyl greenhouse


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2-2. Harvesting

Chili pepper is picked carefully by hand.

The fruit is harvested by removing it fromthe branch of the plant.

During harvesting, overripe fruit is alsoremoved from the plant.

Pickers should wear gloves to protect theirhands from severe burns caused by the oilsin the fruit.

Pickers are advised not to touch their faceor eyes.

Harvested fruits are put directly into plasticfield crates, bamboo baskets or into smallerplastic buckets, which are then transferredto crates.

The harvested fruit are kept in shadedconditions to protect from the sun, wind,and rain.


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101. Postharvest handling of Chili Pepper in Asian countries | Cambodia

2-3. Field packing

Chili peppers are harvested carefully by hand and put directly into plastic bucket orplastic crate and then transferred to plastic sack for field packing and transportingto packing house.

Chili peppers are packed in plastic bucket

Chili peppers are packed in plastic sacks

Chili peppers are paced in plastic crates


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2-4. Transportation to packing house

The chili peppers in containers are handled gently at all times with special caretaken in handling and moving.

Chili peppers are transported to the packing house rapidly after harvesting.

In general, farmers take the fresh chili peppers to packing house on harvesting day(2-3 times a day during dry season).

The chili peppers are transported during the morning or late afternoon to preventheat damage or avoid sun light.


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2-5. Postharvest handling inside the packing house

Unloading chili peppers from transporting vehicle

Chili peppers are unloaded from the vehicleinto shaded collection area.

Chili peppers should not be exposed tosunlight or rain during unloading andmovement inside the packing house.

Collecting and inspection

Chili peppers are collected in a shaded and cool area.

Chili peppers are inspected roughly if there is damaged and decayed fruits.


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Cleaning

Chili peppers are cleaned by gently rubbing the fruit to remove debris and soil particles.

If washing has to be carried out, the wash water is ensured to be clean or sanitizedwith chlorine solution (30g/L).

Chili peppers can be washed by dipping in hot water (54-55C) for 4 minutes tocontrol botrytis rot effectively without causing fruit injury.

After washing, the fruit is air- dried properly to prevent decay.

Before washing, spoiled/damaged/rotten fruits are removed in order to avoidcontamination to the other fruits.

Sorting

Fruit with defects such as cracks, decay, mechanical damage, and sunb urn shouldbe sorted out and rejected.

Undersized fruits are also discarded.

Chili peppers are classified by color, such as red or green, and a mixture of red,green, and yellow.

Each class is assigned a particular name such as class 1 or class 2 or grade 1 orgrade 2.


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Weighing

Packaging materials

Chili peppers are weighed to make 10 to20 kg of fruits depending on containersvolume. Scale is checked for accuracybefore weighing.

Chili peppers are placed in plastic crates(20kg) or plastic bags (10kg) or bamboobaskets (20-30Kg) and kept in the shadeuntil they are transported to the market.

Overloading of bamboo baskets isavoided : load over 50 kg is never done

so as not to cause damage to the fruit bycompression.

The packaging material used for transportationshould have air holes for good ventilation.

Different kinds of packaging containers areused for chili peppers sold to domestic markets,including bamboo baskets, plastic crates, andplastic bags.

Plastic crates offer better protection againstphysical injuries than the other containers dueto their smooth surface, rigidity, and ease inhandling.

The fully loaded container is taken to a shaded,well-ventilated temporary holding area.

Overloading is avoided which can cause bruisingor damage by compression.


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Storage

Transporting of chili peppers to market

Chili peppers are kept in a cool placeunder the house or in shaded and well-ventilated areas.

Wet cloth to cover the baskets is used toprevent water loss during storage; thecloth is frequently sprinkled with cleanwater to keep the fruit cool and maintainfreshness.

For long term of storage (up to 3 weeks),chili peppers are stored at 10oC with a

relative humidity of 85-95%. When stored below 10C chili peppers

can be damaged (surface pitting, decay,discoloration of the seed cavity etc.) andwhen stored above 13C, chili peppersare subject to accelerated ripening andbacterial soft rot infection.

The chili peppers are transported during themorning or late afternoon to prevent heatdamage or avoid sun light.

The best way is to arrange the containers on ashelf to avoid piling on top of each other.

A cloth is used to cover the basket to protect thefruits from sunlight and dust.

The vehicle used for transporting to the marketshould either have refrigeration or at least havea roof to protect it from direct sunlight.


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Farmers Collectors Processors

Consumers

Wholesalers Retailers

Restaurant/Supermarket

Otherwholesalers

3. Supply chain of chili peppers in Cambodia

At wholesale market

At retail market


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4. Chili pepper processing in Cambodia

Chili pepper drying in the sun

Dried chili peppers

Chili paste Chili powder


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5. Postharvest loss

Table 1. Postharvest losses of fresh chili peppers in the traditional and modernsupply chains in Cambodia

Supply Chain Actors Postharvest Loss % Major Causes of Loss

A. Traditional supply chains

Farmers 13.5

Immaturity Insect damage Rotting/decay Weight loss

Collectors 3.7 Physical damage Rotting/decay Over ripening

Wholesalers 6.5 Physical damage Rotting/decay Over ripening

Retailers 3.5 Physical damage Rotting/decay Over ripening

Total 27.2

B. Modern supply chains

Farmers 13

Immaturity Insect damage Rotting/decay Weight loss

Collector-wholesalers/distributors

5.7 Physical damage Rotting/decay Over ripening

Supermarkets 5.5 Physical damage Rotting/decay Over ripening

Total 24.2


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Table 2. Factors contributing to postharvest losses of fresh chili peppers asperceived by various stakeholders (estimated in %).

Factors Farmers Collectors Wholesalers Retailers

Hot and humidweather 100 30 2 2.5

Poor packagingmaterial 26 32.5 5.5

Poor storageconditions 25 65.5 68

Poor transportsystem 16 45 52

Poor sanitation 15 25 30

Inability to sell allproduce 8.5 40 45


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LAOPDR

Bounneuang Douangboupha and Datsakone Hongsivilay

-2. Lao PDR


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1. Cultivation system and postharvest procedures

Postharvest handling procedure of chili pepper in Cambodia

Cultivation system

Postharvest handling of chili pepper harvested in dry seasons and rainy seasons.

Chili pepper is grown on rows on open fields

Harvest

WeighingPackaging

Field sorting &packing

Transportationto market

Sorting atWCCP

AmbientTemperature

Transportationto WCCP

Chili pepper cultivation on open field


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113. Postharvest handling of Chili Pepper in Asian countries | Lao PDR

2. Postharvest handling of chili pepper in the field



Harvest maturity is defined generally by chili pepper color.

Mature green and ripe, red fruits are harvested.


Chili pepper is harvested on a clear day.

Early morning is the best time of day to harvest chili pepper in dry season.

For rainy season, harvesting is carried out in the late morning or afternoon.

Green chili pepper. Red chili pepper


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2-2. Harvesting

Harvesting

Chili pepper are harvested by hand andput into the cotton bag hanging on theharvester's shoulder, or into a bamboobasket or in a plastic basin.

Chili pepper are then transferred froma bag or a small bamboo basket to aplastic sacks or a plastic crate placed

at the field. Workers move slowly on foot between

rows of chili pepper plants whileharvesting.

The frequently of harvesting is done 2to 3 times a week for 4 to 5 months.

Chili peppers are transferred into plastic sack (20-25kg) or bamboo basket (20-25kg) and kept in the shade until they are transported to the Wholesaler's Cooling /Collection / Packing point (WCCP)


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2-3. Transport of chili pepper from farm to storage house

Storage house = Wholesaler's Cooling / Collection / Packing point (WCCP)

Chili peppers are transported to the WCCP rapidly after harvesting .

In general, farmers take the fresh chili pepper to WCCP on harvest day.

The chili peppers are transported during the morning or late afternoon to preventheat damage or avoid exposure to sun light


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3. Postharvest handling of chili pepper in WCCP

Unloading chili pepper from truck or from motorbike.

Collecting and inspection. Collected chili peppers are inspected and if there are damaged or undersized fruits,

these are discarded in a plastic sack or bamboo basket.

Unloading from the truck and the motorbike

Chili peppers are unloaded from the truck or the motorbike into the WCCP area.

Chili peppers are ensured not to be exposed to sunlight or rain during unloadingand during the movement of the produce inside the packing house.


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Weighing and packing at WCCP.

The packaging material used

in packing chili pepper ispolyethylene plastic bag.

Chili pepper are placed intopolyethylen

Postharvest Manual of Cabbage and Chili

Documents

Transcript of Postharvest Manual of Cabbage and Chili