Vol. 11, Issue 7 (2022)

Author(s):
SA Salam, Venkata Ramesh K, M Sunil Kumar, Akurathi Ramya and Ch S Kishore Kumar

Abstract:
Research in postharvest pathology across the countries for the last 30 years had produced various options for reducing postharvest losses. Biological control was viable and safe alternative as it eliminates the risk of pesticide residues from produce and keep it palatable. But, the techniques followed were largely culture dependent which cannot directly answer the queries like interaction of resident microflora and pathogens with respect to physiology of fruit ripening and conditions of preservation, role of cultural practices and environment on composition of microflora and what makes pathogens take upper hand upon maturity of fruit. All these queries need the deeper understanding of interactions at the level of genes, transcripts, proteins and specific metabolites from fruits, pathogens and resident microflora. The harvested produce is not considered lifeless, but it is full of activity and is a dynamic system where all the resident epiphytes, endophytes and postharvest pathogens interact with host factors. This totality forms the ‘fruit microbiome’. The interaction of microbiome over the space and time determines the outcome and they offer ideas of managing microbiomes for the benefit of mankind. Meta-omics are the techniques that offer opportunities for understanding such intricacies on a community basis. These advanced tools are frequently used to study human gut microbiome, sewage management and rhizosphere microbiome of plants. This review attempts to organize such developments in fruit microbiome research and discusses the opportunities for devising functional biocontrol systems to reduce post-harvest losses.