FOCUS OF THE COLLECTION

​The post-harvest management of agricultural, horticultural, and floricultural crops plays a pivotal role in ensuring food security, minimizing losses, and enhancing the overall quality and value of produce. As global agricultural practices evolve to meet the increasing demand for food, effective post-harvest strategies have become more critical than ever. This special issue focuses on the latest advancements, research, and innovations in post-harvest management, providing a platform for scholars, researchers, and industry professionals to share their findings and insights. The aim is to address the diverse challenges associated with post-harvest handling, storage, processing, and marketing, while promoting sustainable and efficient practices. The scope of this special issue encompasses a broad range of topics, including but not limited to, post-harvest technologies for reducing spoilage and wastage, improving the shelf life of perishable goods, and enhancing the quality of crops from farm to consumer. Studies on novel techniques for drying, packaging, refrigeration, and processing of fruits, vegetables, cereals, and flowers are welcome, alongside work on the economic, environmental, and social impacts of post-harvest interventions. Contributions exploring food processing innovations, digital technologies like internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) for monitoring and optimizing post-harvest operations, as well as policy and management frameworks, are also highly encouraged. The issue aims to foster interdisciplinary collaborations between scientists, agricultural engineers, agronomists, and supply chain managers, offering solutions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of post-harvest systems. By advancing knowledge and sharing best practices, this special issue seeks to contribute to the global effort to reduce food loss and waste, preserve the nutritional quality of crops, and support the sustainable development of agricultural industries. Through a focus on practical, scalable, and innovative solutions, the issue will serve as a valuable resource for both academics and practitioners in the field of post-harvest management.

Papers will be assigned DOI numbers and will be available to the viewers under OPEN ACCESS. All the papers published under this special issue will be charged with Rs. 2500/- as article processing charges.