Preharvest Factors That Influence Postharvest Losses of Citrus Fruits

Preharvest growing practices and postharvest mishandlings are the prime determinants causing postharvest losses of citrus fruits. The quality of citrus fruit cannot be improved further once harvest is undertaken. However, quality can be maintained and its reduction may be minimized with appropriate postharvest treatments. Therefore, preharvest conditions significantly influence the quality and postharvest losses of citrus fruits. Various preharvest conditions such as rootstock, scion, production locations, pruning, thinning, irrigation, pest attacks, diseases, physiological disorders, application of mineral elements and growth regulators, time, and method of harvest significantly affect the quality at harvest and during postharvest handling. Careful and appropriate preharvest management practices eventually lead to lower postharvest losses of different citrus fruits. Nevertheless, the use of some growth regulators has either been investigated only on a few citrus cultivars or has been overlooked so far. This chapter describes the influence of different preharvest conditions on postharvest quality and losses of citrus fruits.