Gamma-radiation as a sustainable approach for post-harvest management of tomato diseases

The solanaceae family includes vital crops which are economically important worldwide but they face challenges due to abiotic (drought, salinity) as well as biotic (pathogens, pests) stresses, leading to reduced yields and post-harvest losses. Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is widely regarded as one of the most valuable horticultural crops among them. Gamma (γ) radiation is one of the promising ionizing radiation that has gained prominence as a tool to elevate resilience, nutritional qualities and most importantly shelf-life of the crops through mutational breeding. The technology can be considered as one of the most convenient process of irradiation where entire plant parts or seeds can be irradiated easily without any intricate preparations or procedures. Although the initial investments for this technology are high, it offers market-wise profitable returns and ensures high safety with zero residual effects at lower doses. The gamma irradiation can induce hormesis effects in plants in which lower doses are beneficial for plants but higher doses are detrimental for plants which can impair germination and also affect phytochemical constituents. In tomato, gamma-radiation can be able to mitigate the percentage of weight loss of fruits, control colour-change, firmness, sensory qualities, minimize ethylene production and respiration rate, enhance phytochemical contents, antioxidant properties and decrease microbial load. This kind of radiations alter gene expressions (genes associated with rotting and ripening, plant defence etc.) which ultimately benefits the plants by extending shelf-life. So, gamma radiation represents an novel approach for enhancing sustainable agricultural practices while demonstrating significant economic potential.