Postharvest Ripening, Senescence, and Technology

Fresh fruits and vegetables are invaluable for human health and diet, but their quality deteriorates before reaching consumers due to ongoing processes related to ripening and senescence. The field of postharvest biology and technology addresses many aspects of the physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology of produce. Current genomic resources available for these species represent a powerful tool to uncover markers for marker-associated breeding, identify genes and gene regulatory networks underlying fruit quality traits, and understand the molecular mechanisms involved in ripening, senescence, postharvest plant-pathogen interactions, and deterioration. Effective exploitation and adaptation of these resources can contribute to the improvement of fruit and vegetable quality and storability.

In this Research Topic, we will invite authors with expertise in the genetic basis of senescence, fruit ripening, postharvest biology and technology, and food sciences to submit their latest discoveries or opinions. We will delve into the new research in those fields and discuss how to decode the genomics data for understanding the biological and chemical changes of postharvest produce and for fruit and vegetable quality improvement.

This collection welcomes researchers from both academia and industry who work on basic research such as senescence, ripening, and postharvest biology as well as applied research on fruit and vegetable quality improvement, fruit domestication, and food science and technology.