**9. Postharvest handling operations of vegetable crops**

Maintenance of hygiene in all stages of postharvest handling is critical to minimize the source of primary inoculum for postharvest diseases [39]. Produce should be harvested during the day instead of early morning. Field containers should be smoothed. Containers should be cleaned. Sterilized packing and grading equipment, particularly brushes and rollers, are used. Chlorinated water @ 100 ppm is commonly used for washing vegetables. This can be done with chlorine gas or with either liquid hypochlorite (pH 6.0–7.0). Containers should not be overfilled, which causes severe damage during stacking. Management of temperature is the most important factor to extend the shelf life of fresh vegetables after harvest. It begins with rapid removal of the field heat by using any of the following cooling methods: hydro-cooling, in-package ice, top icing, evaporative cooling, room cooling, forced air cooling, serpentine forced air cooling, vacuum cooling, and hydro-vacuum cooling. The relative humidity during storage should be maintained at about 85–95% for most fruits and 95–98% for vegetables. Transport vehicles should always be cleaned and sanitized before loading.
