Editorial: postharvest ripening, senescence, and technology, Volume II

Fresh fruits, vegetables, and ornamentals are highly perishable. Once harvested, their quality and shelf-life rapidly decline, promoting consumer dissatisfaction, leading to food loss and waste, and jeopardizing the global goal of achieving food security. This research topic assessed how innovations in harvest management, postharvest technologies, and genomics-based breeding can improve quality traits. Shorter harvest intervals have been used to enhance blueberry postharvest quality (Godara et al., 2025); pre-and postharvest approaches have been evaluated on their effectiveness in maintaining fresh-cut watermelon quality (Quandoh & Albornoz, 2025); multi-omics has elucidated volatile formation in pepper (Liu et al., 2023); advanced genomics and genome editing have been applied to improve strawberry (Vondracek et al., 2024); novel loci for canary yellow have been identified in watermelon (Park et al., 2023), and genotype-environment-management interactions have been investigated to optimize lisianthus vase life and quality (Kim & Heo, 2025). Together, these studies illustrate how targeted pre-and postharvest strategies can optimize quality traits across diverse horticultural crops and contribute to food loss and waste reduction.Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) fruit ripen asynchronously, which has direct effects on harvest timing and frequency. In a two-year study, Godara et al. (2025) evaluated the effect of different picking intervals on quality attributes of rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium virgatum) 'Brightwell'. Berries harvested every days had higher fresh loss, berry damage, and softer texture than those from two-35 or three-day intervals, indicating poorer storability. In contrast, longer, seven-day intervals produced 36 with higher total soluble solids and anthocyanins, and lower titratable acidity levels, of 37 which suggest better suitability for processing, while the three-day interval best balanced quality 38 traits for the fresh market. 39The allo-octoploid and highly heterozygous genome of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) makes it a 40 challenging crop for conventional breeding. Volatile profiles influence consumer preferences in pepper (Capsicum spp.) quality; however, the 74 underlying metabolic and genetic mechanisms are complex and mostly undiscovered.