Postharvest Technology MCQs (Set 17) Posted on August 24, 2026Author agropublishers 0 1. Postharvest disease is best defined as deterioration caused primarily by _____________ Temperature stress Nutritional imbalance Water loss Pathogenic microorganisms 2. Latent infections are particularly difficult to detect in harvested fruits because ________________ They occur only on leaves They are always associated with wounds They remain symptomless until favorable conditions or ripening occur They spread only through soil 3. Root and tuber crops require curing after mechanical damage to ___________________ Increase respiration Promote wound healing and reduce bacterial decay Increase water loss Accelerate sprouting 4. The primary advantage of electronic sizing equipment for citrus is ___________________ Ability to completely prevent mechanical damage during handling Elimination of the need for grading based on defects Improved accuracy and consistency in size classification Reduced need to wash and wax fruit before packing 5. A fresh-cut carrot processor wants to minimize mechanical injury during slicing and dicing. Which strategy is most effective? Adding more workers for manual handling Using sharp, well-maintained blades and controlled feed rates Increasing feed speed Using dull blades 6. The characteristic blue-green sporulation of blue mold on stored apples is produced by ________________ Penicillium expansum Alternaria alternata Fusarium spp. Botrytis cinerea 7. _______________ is the most suitable and efficient precooling method for leafy lettuce packed loosely in cartons Top-icing with crushed ice Room cooling without forced airflow Hydrocooling by immersion Vacuum cooling 8. In grading operations, it is important to separate mechanically injured produce because _____________________________ Injured produce cannot be washed or waxed Injured produce always weighs more than sound produce Sound produce must be stored at higher temperatures Injured produce deteriorates faster and can spread decay 9. _____________________________ is the best practice to minimize cross-contamination and mechanical injury when washing leafy vegetables Using very warm water to remove soil more quickly Agitating leaves vigorously to ensure thorough cleaning Allowing leaves to soak for long periods in still water Using clean, cool water with properly controlled sanitizer levels 10. __________________________________________ best prevents mechanical injury and maintains cooling airflow in cold storage Stacking pallets tightly to maximize capacity Allowing forklifts to bump pallets for faster alignment Avoiding over-tight stacking and leaving space between pallets Placing heavy pallets on lighter ones Loading … Question 1 of 10
