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