Postharvest Technology MCQs (Set 20) Posted on August 27, 2026Author agropublishers 0 1. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is particularly valuable for diagnosing postharvest diseases because it ___________________ Can identify specific pathogens at very early stages Measures relative humidity Directly prevents fungal infection Measures fruit weight 2. Respiration in harvested horticultural produce continues because the tissues __________________________ Begin photosynthesizing normally Stop consuming stored substrates Become metabolically inactive Remain living and metabolically active 3. Maintaining appropriate relative humidity during storage of horticultural crops helps preserve the ____________ Soluble solids Fruit color Turgor, texture, and appearance of fresh produce Microbial safety 4. Which event is most directly associated with the loss of cellular compartmentation during litchi browning? Separation of seeds from the aril Increased chlorophyll synthesis Increased sugar unloading Contact between enzymes and phenolic substrates that are normally compartmentalized 5. Edible coatings help delay ripening in climacteric fruits such as mango and banana, primarily through _______________ Increased ethylene production Increased transpiration and surface drying Modified gas exchange, reducing respiration and ethylene production Completely stopping respiration 6. Why is controlled-atmosphere storage useful for citrus during postharvest handling? It helps regulate atmospheric conditions to slow respiration and ripening It regulates mechanical injury It eliminates all physiological disorders It increases respiration and accelerates ripening 7. ______________ helps preserve mango firmness after harvesting by slowing the degradation of cell-wall pectin Calcium salt treatment High-temperature storage Ethylene treatment Increased oxygen exposure 8. Why are innovative postharvest technologies increasingly important for maintaining fruit and vegetable quality? They accelerate ripening to facilitate marketing They extend shelf life while maintaining quality, safety, and nutritional value They primarily increase crop yield in the field They eliminate the need for harvesting 9. A storage manager wants to delay mango ripening by modifying the storage atmosphere. Which combination of changes is most appropriate? Increase O₂ to stimulate respiration Maintain atmospheric gas concentrations unchanged Reduce O₂ and increase CO₂ within commodity-specific safe limits Increase O₂ and eliminate CO₂ 10. A fruit that looks healthy at harvest but shows disease later during ripening suffers from a ___________________ Systemic infection Mechanical infection Secondary infection Latent infection Loading … Question 1 of 10
