Advances in Postharvest Technology of Flowers, Medicinal, and Aromatic Herbs

In horticulture, the postharvest technology is the crucial sector which involves efficient and constructive systems to look into the novel packaging, storing and transport management, controlling pests, disease, and senescence after harvest and market access with supply chain optimization to track systems for ensuring delivery of finest quality harvest to final user. In horticulture, ornamentals, spice, and aromatic herbs hold a special position in trade. Either cut flowers or loose flowers both are praised for exquisite appearance, vibrant color, and innumerable charm whereas for spice crops India has a prime position in world. When these crops are harvested, they seek special care as with prolonged shelf life inevitably convince the consumers, retailers to pay for. Despite the expected short postharvest, existence of most horticultural plants is subjected to numerous abiotic and biotic stresses, which are accountable for inducing the speedy senescence and decay. The fundamental objective of the traders and researchers is to deliver quality product with obstructed senescence, extended freshness are essential attributes for marketable end product. The postharvest life lies in three different stages of harvesting and preserving flowers. The imbalance of water uptake and transpiration, more respiration leads to food depletion, deleterious effect of ethylene added to the inadequate handling practices and exposing to stresses are genuinely harmful for the shelf life. To combat these situations, various measures have been taken such as treating with chemicals with sugar supplements, anti-ethylene, growth regulators, were practiced, and modification in packaging and storing were also accomplished since last two decades. Besides these techniques, there are certain new measures like modern harvesting technology, fumigation, insecticidal dips, ultra beam ray treatments, application of nano-materials for packaging, green cultivation systems incorporate the sustainable techniques to enhance to flower shelf life as well as the environmental safety. In this chapter, we will deal with the various aspects implicated on the preservation of traded cut flowers, medicinal, and aromatic herbs with special consideration on advanced postharvest techniques available to reduce senescence.