@article{BOOK,
      recid = {76086},
      author = {Ramasamy, S},
      title = {Sustainable management of post-harvest pests and diseases  in vegetables and legumes. International Conference on  Emerging Post Harvest Technologies for Shelf Life  Enhancement and Valorization of Horticultural Crops},
      address = {2024},
      number = {BOOK},
      pages = {p. 171 -178},
      abstract = {Vegetables and fruit are high-value crops, and their  production, processing, and marketing offer more employment  and income opportunities because they are more  labor-intensive than staple crops. For instance, studies  from Cambodia, Niger, and Vietnam showed that profits per  hectare were 3-14 times higher in vegetable production than  in rice production, while profits per labor day were double  (Joosten et al., 2015). It was also shown that vegetable  production in six Asian countries used, on average, 297  labor days per hectare per season against 116 labor days  for cereal production (Weinberger & Lumpkin, 2007). Hence,  vegetable production, processing, and marketing might offer  a profitable business opportunity for youth and women.  Secondly, fruit and vegetables are an important component  of the diet globally. Although the prevalence of hunger has  declined globally in recent decades, ‘hidden hunger'  continues to be a critical issue impacting the health and  nutritional status of a significant proportion of the  world's population (Schreinemachers et al., 2018). A recent  study estimated that over half of preschool-aged children  and two-thirds of non-pregnant women of reproductive age  worldwide have micronutrient deficiencies (Stevens et al.,  2022). It is equally important to note that almost 2.1  billion people are overweight or obese (Ng et al., 2014).  Fruit and vegetables are vital sources of micronutrients  crucial for maintaining health. Vegetables with high  potassium support healthy blood pressure, while dietary  fiber lowers cholesterol and reduces heart disease risk.  Folate minimizes birth defect risks, vitamin A maintains  eye and skin health, and vitamin C promotes oral health and  aids iron absorption (Schreinemachers et al., 2018).  Recognizing these benefits, the World Health Organization  (WHO) recommends a daily intake of 400 g of fruit and  vegetables to prevent chronic diseases and ensure essential  micronutrients (WHO/FAO, 2003). Globally, 25-50% of fruit  and vegetables are lost at the post-harvest stage,  constituting approximately one-third of the world's total  food production (Bancal & Ray, 2022). A recent study  pinpointed eight key factors contributing to significant  fruit and vegetable value chain losses. These factors  include poor coordination between production, processing,  and fresh markets, inadequate seasonal demand forecasting  for non-producing regions, limited knowledge sharing about  demand and supply, insufficient logistics in catchment  areas, a lack of cold chain facilities, improper planting  and sowing timing, resistance to diversifying crops, and a  shortage of specialized vehicles (Anand & Barua, 2022). In  addition, postharvest losses due to pests or diseases can  manifest at any point in the postharvest handling process,  spanning from the moment of harvest to the eventual  consumption of the produce. For instance, fruit and  vegetables are highly prone to substantial losses due to  various plant pathogenic fungi, such as Botrytis cinerea,  Alternaria alternata, Penicillium italicum, P. digitatum,  P. expansum, Monilia fructicola, M. laxa, Colletotrichum  gloeosporioides,Rhizopus stolonifer, Botryiodiplodia  theobromae, and many others (Youssef et al., 2022).  Therefore, it is crucial to implement technological  interventions at post-harvest stages to mitigate pests and  diseases, thereby minimizing both quantitative and  qualitative losses in fruit and vegetables. The World  Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) has developed and/or piloted  technologies to reduce post-harvest losses in Asia and  Africa.},
      url = {http://worldveg.tind.io/record/76086},
}