Guest Editors
Prof. Rachid Lahlali
Email: rlahlali@enameknes.ac.ma
Affiliation: Department of Plant Protection, Ecole Nationale d’Agriculture de Meknès
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Summary
The physiological processes and post-harvest handling of horticultural plants profoundly impact their quality, shelf life, and commercial value. The increasing demand for fresh produce with extended post-harvest viability has amplified the need for effective preservation and disease control techniques. This special issue will explore new discoveries in post-harvest physiology, biochemical pathways, and processing methods that contribute to innovative disease management strategies. By gathering insights into cutting-edge research, we aim to provide a comprehensive resource for developing and applying sustainable preservation methods that reduce post-harvest losses and extend the shelf life of fresh produce. Additionally, this special issue aims to critically discuss recent advancements in research on post-harvest biotechnology of horticultural plants, focusing on aging, preservation, and processing.
A recent study by Wu et al. (2023), published in Cell Reports, unveils a critical pathway—the MKK1-MPK6-3/11-4-bZIP21 module—involved in regulating banana fruit ripening. Through comprehensive genome analysis, the authors identified MaMKK1 as a key player in banana ripening, with its upregulation facilitating the ripening process when overexpressed in model fruits such as tomatoes. This study presents significant implications for advancing fruit storage and logistics technologies by offering a framework for modulating ripening pathways, potentially delaying over-ripening and maintaining fruit quality for extended periods. Such insights set a new precedent for disease management practices, as they reveal molecular targets that could be manipulated to enhance resistance to post-harvest diseases.
This special issue invites original research, reviews, and case studies focused on molecular mechanisms, innovative storage practices, and biotechnological advancements that contribute to controlling post-harvest diseases. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, regulatory pathways in fruit ripening, novel preservation techniques, the role of secondary metabolites in defense, and the use of biocontrol agents in post-harvest disease management. By bringing together these contributions, we seek to foster interdisciplinary collaboration that bridges basic research with practical applications, ultimately supporting the development of sustainable practices to meet the challenges of modern horticultural production and supply chains.
Keywords
post-harvest biotechnology, horticultural crops, fruit ripening regulation, post-harvest disease management, MKK1-MPK6-3/11-4-bZIP21 pathway, preservation techniques, shelf-life extension, aging and senescence, molecular pathways, sustainable post-harvest practices, quality preservation, storage and logistics technologies
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