Preharvest Factors Influencing Composition and Quality of Fruits
Genetic: selection of cultivar, rootstocks.
Cultivar and rootstock selection are important because there are often differences in raw fruit composition, postharvest-life potential, and response to processing.
In many cases fruit cultivars grown for fresh market sale are not optimal cultivars for processing.
Climatic: temperature, light, wind.
Climatic factors may have a strong influence on nutritional quality of fruits.
Light intensity significantly affects vitamin concentration and temperature influences transpiration rate, which will affect mineral uptake and metabolism.
Cultural practices: soil type, soil nutrient and water supply, pruning, thinning, pest control.
Fertilizer addition may significantly affect the mineral content of fruit, while other practice such as pruning and thinning may influence nutritional composition by changing fruit load and size.
Preharvest Factors Influencing Composition and Quality of Fruits
