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