Seed potato degeneration, the reduction in yield or quality caused by an accumulation of pathogens and pests in planting material due to successive cycles of vegetative propagation, has been a long-standing production challenge for potato growers around the world. In developed countries this problem has been overcome by general access to and frequent use of seed, produced by specialized growers, that has been certified to have pathogen and pest incidence below established thresholds, often referred to as certified seed. The success of certified seed in developed countries has concentrated the research and development agenda on the establishment of similar systems in developing countries. Despite these efforts, certified seed has had little penetration into the informal seed systems currently in place in most developing countries. Small-scale farmers in these countries continue to plant seed tubers acquired through the informal seed system, i.e. produced on-farm or acquired from neighbours or local markets. Informal seed tubers frequently have poor health status, leading to significant reductions in yield and/or market value. This review emphasizes the need to refocus management efforts in developing countries on improving the health status of seed tubers in the informal system by integrating disease resistance and on-farm management tools with strategic seed replacement. This 'integrated seed health strategy' can also prolong the good health status of plants derived from certified seed, which would otherwise be diminished due to potential rapid infection from neighbouring fields. Knowledge gaps, development challenges and impacts of this integrated seed health strategy are discussed.

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Fresh fruits and vegetables have higher moisture contents and deteriorate over a short period of time if not handled appropriately. Available storage technologies such as refrigeration and controlled atmospheres are expensive as these need continuous energy for system operation throughout the whole supply chain. So, the use of drying techniques is being encouraged as it reduces the postharvest losses and provides easiness in storage, transport, and ensures product availability round the year. Drying of fruits and vegetables through conventional approaches such as sun or open‐air drying found a slow process and may lead to the inferior quality product due to contamination. Various advanced drying techniques such as solar, microwave, vacuum, infrared, freeze, oven drying, and different hybrid drying technologies have been developed around the globe as being successfully used for various fruits and vegetables. This paper mainly focuses to review crop‐specific operations, its impact on quality, efficiency, cost‐effectiveness, and nutrient retention ability. Practical applications Dried products are broadly used by the industries related to confectionery, bakery, and sweet and distilling industries in the development of versatile by‐products including sauces, teas, puddings, garnishments, and food supplements for infants as well as children. Fruits and vegetables can be dried with suitable retention of nutrients and health‐promoting compounds. Crop‐specific drying technologies have been optimized for the quality conservation of dehydrated products. Several novel drying techniques discussed in this review could be helpful to researchers and relevant industry stakeholders for application and improvement.

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