From Temperature Fluctuations to Precise Control: Biochemical Techniques Integrated Digital-Intelligent Technology for Vegetable Preservation

Abstract

Vegetables are indispensable agricultural products in the human diet. With the continuous growth of vegetable production and consumption, postharvest losses have also increased accordingly, whereas temperature fluctuations (TF) are an overlooked key factor. Therefore, investigating the physiological effects and molecular mechanisms of TF on postharvest vegetables, and developing effective strategies, is of great significance to the industrial chain. This review summarizes the current status of vegetable production, consumption, and postharvest losses in China and worldwide. It systematically elucidates the common physiological effects of TF stress on postharvest vegetable quality, as well as the quality deterioration characteristics of leafy, fruiting and root vegetables. Furthermore, it explores the molecular responses of vegetables under TF stress from multiple omics perspectives. Based on these insights, we propose a multi-technology integrated strategy that combines endogenous stress-resistance improvement with coordinated exogenous environmental regulation for maintaining postharvest vegetable quality. The results show that biotechnologies can achieve endogenous stress-resistance improvement in vegetables. Meanwhile, the integration of physicochemical technologies with digital-intelligent technologies can enable coordinated control of the external environment. Ultimately, by constructing a multi-technology integrated strategy that combines endogenous stress-resistance improvement with exogenous environmental regulation, it is possible to maintain postharvest vegetable quality and efficiently reduce losses.