Postharvest Technology MCQs (Set 19) Posted on August 27, 2026Author agropublishers 0 1. Why does excessive water loss cause citrus fruit to shrivel during postharvest storage? It increases cell turgor pressure Loss of moisture reduces turgor pressure and contributes to cellular collapse It stimulates starch accumulation It increases membrane hydration 2. A high respiration rate in harvested horticultural produce is generally associated with _______________________________ Rapid quality deterioration and shorter shelf life Improved nutritional retention Longer storage life Reduced metabolic activity 3. A researcher observes that membrane leakage increases before visible browning appears in litchi peel. What does this observation most likely suggest? Membrane damage occurs only after visible browning Membrane deterioration may be an early physiological event preceding visible browning Browning is caused exclusively by microbial infection Membrane leakage is unrelated to browning 4. A citrus packing facility has excessive ventilation combined with low storage relative humidity. Which postharvest problem is most likely to increase? Reduced weight loss Increased internal sugar concentration Reduced transpiration Water loss and shriveling 5. Edible coatings help delay ripening in climacteric fruits such as mango and banana, primarily through _______________ Increasing transpiration and surface drying Increased ethylene production Completely stopping respiration Modification of gas exchange, reducing respiration and ethylene production 6. Horticultural commodities remain highly susceptible to postharvest deterioration because _________________________ They stop all enzymatic activity They become resistant to microbial infection They become physiologically inactive They remain metabolically active and continue respiration, ripening, and senescence 7. The gray, fluffy sporulation produced by Botrytis cinerea on infected fruits consists primarily of _______________ Sclerotia Conidiophores and conidia Bacterial colonies Oospores 8. Which postharvest technology can help reduce fungal decay while maintaining the quality of fresh strawberries? High-temperature sterilization Prolonged ambient-temperature storage Increased-oxygen storage Chitosan-based edible coating 9. __________________________ represents a subsequent disease attack following an established primary infection Mechanical infection Secondary infection Latent infection Systemic infection 10. A major requirement for successful modified-atmosphere storage of fresh horticultural produce is ____________________________________ Careful monitoring and control of the gas composition Eliminating refrigeration Maintaining zero oxygen concentration Maximizing carbon dioxide concentration regardless of commodity Loading … Question 1 of 10
