Postharvest biology: genomics and omics strategies to enhance food security

Efforts to improve agricultural output and adaptability against harsh conditions should be supplemented with attempts to minimize postharvest failures to ensure an adequate food supply to an increasing global population. Postharvest losses are significant and occur at many levels of the food chain in both developed and underdeveloped countries. The significance of plant microbiota is thoroughly studied in plant growth, development, and nourishment and is well described. However, the dynamics and impact of this microbiota in postharvest management are less described for maintaining crop quality. There is still poor understanding and research available to manage these losses, even though food losses are a huge problem worldwide. In agricultural storage, microbiota may be significant either by avoiding or favoring rot or losing quality due to sprouting, saccharification, loss of water, or spoiling activities. Horticultural produces phenotypic quality is determined by genetic features produced through a series of reactions influenced by complicated regulatory mechanisms and a variety of environmental factors. Finally, a systematic methodology that integrates omics strategies and their ecological responses to identify the biological networks underpinning them is necessary for adequately comprehending postharvest occurrences. Genomic approaches, such as, RNA_seq, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and plant microbe’s interactions, are a real opportunity to help traditional postharvest research towards modernized postharvest management with the help of high throughput omics tools. This book chapter presents detailed information on the systematic biology, genetic, and new omics approaches and how this research comes into a new age and leads after the postharvest to improve the quality of the products.