Preharvest factors influencing bruise damage of fresh fruits – a review

Bruise damage of fresh fruits is a major problem in the horticultural industry, potentially occurring during preharvest, harvest and at all stages of postharvest handling chain. This damage can cause considerable postharvest and economic losses, reduce produce quality and result in serious food safety concerns. Understanding the factors influencing susceptibility or resistance of produce to bruising is important in developing strategies for reducing the problem. This review discusses main preharvest factors that could be manipulated by producers prior to harvest in attempts to reduce bruise damage of fresh fruits during postharvest handling. These factors include: (1) genetic (species/genotype); (2) climatic and environmental; (3) seasonal variation; (4) orchard management practices; and (5) effect of fruit properties. A critical discussion of these factors and their relative influence on bruise susceptibility of fresh fruits is presented. Among other factors, orchard management practices such as irrigation and fertilization could be an important strategy to manipulate fruit mechanical strength to enhance resistance to bruising. Future research directions are discussed.