Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Project renewal objectives and subobjectives were drafted.  Three people were appointed to oversee the drafting of the project renewal. 1) Enhance and/or adapt current handling, storage and postharvest practices/technologies to ensure high-quality products to their increase acceptability by consumers.  Point person Chris W. 2) Expand and translate fundamental plant biology to develop new storage technologies and plant materials that will enhance human nutrition and energy-efficient postharvest systems. Point person Randy B. 3) Advance our understanding of host-pathogen-microbe interactions to discover and translate novel decay and toxin abatement strategies to deliver safe, high quality fruits and vegetables.   Point person Toktam T.

Carolina Torres will become the chair at next year’s meeting.  Angelos Deltsidis was elected to be the next secretary.

Next meeting to be held in conjunction with ASHS in Orlando, Florida 2022.

University of Minnesota, Cindy Tong

Cooperators: Renae Moran (University of Maine), Rebecca Wiepz (Peninsular Agricultural Research Station, Sturgeon Bay, WI), and Zata Vickers (Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota).

Obj. 1. One objective of this work was to characterize the postharvest fruit quality of a newly released apple variety, ‘MN80’.‘MN80’ was selected for release based on its fruits’ resistance to apple scab, thus requiring less spraying than scab-susceptible cultivars.  The quality of ‘MN80’ fruit from two growing locations over multiple years was assessed at harvest and after storage for four months at 0-1 °C and 4-5 °C. Mean firmness of Wisconsin-grown ‘MN80’fruit decreased as harvest week increased, but mean fruit fresh weight and total soluble solids concentration (SSC) remained the same over harvest time. Fruit stored at 4-5 °C exhibited more shrivel and loss of firmness than fruit stored at 0-1 °C.

Consumer sensory panels evaluating newly-harvested fruit liked ‘Honeycrisp’ and Maine-grown ‘MN80’fruit best, followed by Wisconsin-grown ‘MN80’fruit, then ‘Cortland’ fruit. However, after 4 months of storage, Maine-grown ‘MN80’ fruit had the highest overall liking scores of all the stored cultivars. Mean sensory attribute scores of Maine- and Wisconsin-grown ‘MN80’ fruit changed little with storage, whereas stored ‘Honeycrisp’ and ‘Cortland’ had lower scores than newly- harvested fruit. For all cultivars, storage temperature had no effect on sensory attribute scores.

 Cornell University, Chris Watkins, Yosef Al Shoffe, DoSu Park, Xueying Jiang, Connor Lane

Cooperators: Philip Engelgau, Randy Beaudry, Lailiang Cheng, Jenny Kao-Kniffen

• Effects of ReTain and timing of application: SEFB – inhibition of browning greater with earlier than late application at 6 and 9 months. A significant weapon against SEFB as well as post-storage benefits on firmness. Flesh firmness similar for all ReTain timings and all greater than the control at 6 months. However, benefit decreases over storage time and shelf life. Loss of green color affected greatly by treatment timing at harvest 2 compared with harvest 1.
• Effects of ReTain, oxygen concentration, storage temperature, and delayed CA: Delays between harvest and CA storage are detrimental and do not mimic ‘conditioning. Up to 7 day delay and storage at 2% oxygen and 1% carbon dioxide maintained low SEFB if storage temperature was 38^oF (not 33^oF) for 6 but not 9 months. Flesh browning development greatly decreased by 0.5% oxygen and 1% carbon dioxide at 33^oF and to a greater extent at 38^o No ‘cost’ in terms of firmness at 38^oF compared with 33^oF. [including after 7 day shelf life (68^oF) – all fruit treated with 1-MCP.]
• Regional study of 0.5% oxygen and storage temperature on storage quality: PGR effects reinforced but variations. No strong mineral relationships. SPI clearly an indicator. I_AD values are indicators but within regions. 0.5% oxygen at 38F is a strong recommendation for late storing Gala apples. Temperature effects on firmness seem small. Note softer fruit associated with browning in many cases.
• DA reading relationships with disorder incidence: The fluorescence signal of ‘Gala’ apples untreated (Control; C in inset) or ReTain-treated (ReTain, Re in inset) in the field 3 weeks before harvest, and stored at low O₂ Stress was detected at 0.2 kPa (1 kPa = 1%); the signals were much higher in ReTain treated than untreated fruit. R² for acetaldehyde and ethanol concentrations with increasing I_AD values are 0.971 and 0.918, respectively.
• Aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG; Retain®) affects Dissipation of Watercore of ‘Fuji’ Apple: Non- treated “Fuji” has most severe watercore. The watercore severity of AVG group appears to be independent of density.
• The Impact of the Plant Growth Regulators Retain^® and Harvista^™ on Volatile Profiling of ‘Fuji’ Apples in Different Storage Regimes: No significant PGRs effects on watercore incidence were observed, but severity was lower with preharvest 1-MCP or AVG treatment. At harvest, untreated fruit showed higher esters and alcohol compounds than AVG or 1-MCP treated fruit. Clear differences in volatile profile were observed in control fruit as storage time in air storage increased. Similar patterns of volatile compounds were observed in DCA storage regardless of treatments. Most alcohol and esters were suppressed by the PGRs those trends were observed more strongly in Air than CA or DCA. 1-butanol, 1-hexanol, and butyl acetate levels responded differently between Air and CA or DCA. Changes in ethanol levels correlated strongly with watercore dissipation
• AVG Effects on Snapdragon^® Apple Quality and Surface Microbiome: Ethylene inhibitor application causes shifts in the fungal but not bacterial microbiome. Fungal and bacterial compositions change over harvest time. Gene pathway abundance suggests that in later harvests. Bacteria with fewer pathways for nucleotide biosynthesis are favored. Bacteria with more pathways for degradation of aromatics are favored.

 Virginia State Univ., Toktam Taghavi

Develop eco-friendly postharvest practices to extend the shelf life of strawberries. This is the third and final year of the project to focus on gene expression levels. Seven genes have been studied. The changes in gene expression levels in strawberry (All Star) exposed for 2, 4, 6, 8 days to five essential oils (hymol, eugenol, cinnamon oil, clove bud oil, non-enal), fungicide Switch (positive control) and no treatment (negative control) were recorded. The data has not been interpreted yet, but there are some trends in the data. Thymol increased the XTH2 gene expression compared to others. Day 6 was the critical day as many genes had higher expression levels on this day.

2.1. Assessment of anthocyanin extraction methods: Six methods have been tested in this experiment to quantify anthocyanins in strawberry fruits by spectrophotometry and Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) respectively. chloroform-methanol and methanol-water solvents were the best solvents for extracting anthocyanins from strawberries. Also, freeze-dried strawberries had higher anthocyanin contents compared to fresh or frozen samples.

University of Florida, Jeffrey K. Brecht and Steven A. Sargent

Cooperators: Adrian Berry, Lanyen Chang, Jose Chaparro, Jonathan Crane, Moshe Doron, David Jarnagin, Morgan Madison, Heather Martin, Juanita Popenoe, Mark Ritenour, Merce Santana, Ali Sarkosh, Shirin Shahkoomahally, Faisal Shahzad, Charles Sims, Fumi Takeda (ARS-WV), Pavlos Tsouvaltzis, Ismail Uysal (USF), Tripti Vashisth, Yu Wang, Jeffrey Williamson.

• Ripening Inhibition and Quality of Selected Tropical Fruits In Relation To 1-MCP Controlled Release Technology from Hazel Technologies (Hazel Technologies: Morgan Madison, Moshe Doron, Sonya Stahl, Steve Sargent, Jonathan Crane, Jeff Brecht). The objective of this project was to determine the effectiveness of Hazel Technologies’ controlled release 1-MCP sachets for arresting the ripening of selected tropical fruits grown in south Florida. To date, distribution simulation tests have been conducted with Annona, avocado, guava (climacteric and nonclimacteric types), mango, papaya, and passionfruit with similar results indicating potential to extend shelf life via ripening inhibition by a few Decay has been unaffected by the 1-MCP sachets and was the main shelf life limiting factor for Annona and papaya. This project supported the M.Sc. program of Morgan Madison.
• Feasibility of mechanical harvest systems to reduce labor costs and address labor shortages for fruit growers. A late-season test was conducted in April to compare incidence of decay and fruit quality of hand- harvested strawberries (Sensation) either rinsed for 90 sec in commercially sanitized water (22 °C; 60 ppm free chlorine, pH = 3) or left dry, followed by forced-air cooling and simulated commercial storage for 5 days at 1 °C plus 9 days at 5 °C. Despite the potential for significant decay in the late-season crop, no decay developed in either treatment after 14 days. Marketable fruit (unbruised + slightly bruised) decreased slightly. Though a small sample size, these results agreed with our previous studies, in that rinsing strawberries with sanitized water prior to cooling did not promote decay during extended storage. This test will be repeated with larger fruit samples in the coming 2022-23 season.
• Mango ripening procedure – Temperature in the ripening room (+/- ethylene). (National Mango Board: Jeff Brecht, Moshe Doron, Dennis Khilstadius). We evaluated mango fruit response to ripening temperature with and without ethylene application in terms of appearance, composition, texture, taste, and aroma. The mangos were exposed to 60, 65, 70 or 75°F +/-0.1°F with 95% relative humidity (RH) for 4 days, either with or without initial exposure to 100 ppm ethylene for the first 24 hours. Following the simulated ripening room treatments, the fruit were transferred to 50°F +/-0.1°F with 95% RH for 4 days to simulate storage at the Distribution Completion of ripening was then allowed to take place in air at 70°F and 95% RH. The following measurements were made at 0, 4, and 8 days: Fruit skin and flesh color; fruit firmness; juice soluble solids content (°Brix) and titratable acidity. The lower temperatures of 60 and 65°F for 4 days and no exogenous ethylene resulted in slower and less uniform ripening than 70 or 75°F and 24-h exposure to 100 ppm ethylene, but there was little effect on quality after completion of ripening at 70°F.
• Demonstrating the feasibility of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) plus ethylene scrubbing for mangos. (National Mango Board: Faisal Shahzad, Moshik Doron, Zafar Iqbal, Jeff Brecht). This project is being conducted to determine the feasibility of incorporating modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) technology with or without ethylene scrubbing into existing mango handling systems to improve the quality of South American mangos for consumers in the United States. The CA tested were 4 or 6% O2 plus 5, 10, or 15% CO2 for 4 weeks at 7°C plus 7 days at 20°C. After identifying the optimum atmospheres in experiments using controlled atmospheres, we tested the commercially available Breatheway^TM MAP system +/- It’sFresh^TM ethylene We additionally tested Akorn semipermeable fruit coatings (an addition to the project).
  • It’sFresh filters resulted in retention of higher puncture resistance forces and higher skin hue and near stone flesh hue than no It’sFresh filters.
  • Breatheway MAP maintained approximately 2-6% O2 plus 9-12% CO2 during the 7°C storage, but while O2 was 3-5%, the CO2 rose to 23-28% at 20°C.
  • MAP resulted in lower decay incidence and chilling injury, higher near stone flesh hue and chroma and higher TA and lower TSS/TA ratios compared with the air control. Sensory results showed that MAP had higher scores for texture and lower scores for ripeness when compared with the air control.
  • Akorn coating created an internal atmosphere of 6-8% O2 plus 7-10% CO2 at 7°C and 4-5% O2 plus 18-19% CO2 at 20°C.
  • Coated fruit had less chilling injury, higher hue and L* values (skin, subepidermal, and near the stone), higher firmness (compression and puncture resistance forces), and higher TA content compared to uncoated Sensory results (greater firmness and acidity with less juiciness and ripeness) confirmed that coating inhibited ripening.
• Efficacy of essential oil for maintaining postharvest quality and reducing decay of peach and blueberry (USDA OREI program: Yuru Chang, Jeff Brecht, Ali Sarkhosh, Phil Harmon, and Warda Boukari). Thyme oil (TO) was applied as a vapor to peach and blueberry fruit at five different concentrations. Improper concentration of essential oil causes damage to peach and blueberry fruits, affecting the fruit color and firmness. Before testing the efficacy of TO vapor on fruit postharvest applications, the safe concentration range of TO should first be determined. In the future, we are planning to narrow down the TO concentration based on the data we have collected so far to figure out the most effective treatment concentration without causing any injury to fruits.

2.1. Analysis of the antioxidant qualities of flowers and fruit of several commercial varieties of Sambucus nigra ssp. Canadensis in Florida (Southern SARE Program: H. Martin; S. Sargent (Co-PI), D. Jarnagin, A. Berry, M. Santana): A growing demand exists for elderberry products, traditionally grown in the Midwest. Florida growers are actively seeking to expand production under subtropical growing conditions where two harvests are possible per year. Second-year results for elderberry selections grown in Chiefland, Florida, were: Soluble solids content: 7.78 to 13.83 °Brix; total titratable acidity: 0.30% to 0.67%, and SSC/TTA ratio: 13.39 to 27.28. The pH was similar for all varieties and averaged 4.8. Antioxidant activity (FRAP): 6.27 to 32.57 (µmol/g); total anthocyanins: 3.6 to 26.6 (CGE mg/g). These results show growers that nutritionally acceptable crops can be grown under these conditions; efforts are currently underway to select best performing selections for commercial expansion.

2.2. Compare postharvest quality of commercial blueberry cultivars and breeding lines following forced-air cooling or hydrocooling. Four cultivars of southern highbush blueberries (Farthing, Optimus, Colossus, Sentinel) were cooled by forced-air cooling (commercial standard) or hydrocooling and stored at 1°C. Periodic, non-destructive and destructive evaluations were conducted during a 7-week storage period in Spring and Summer 2022. Results are still being analyzed.

2.3. Postharvest Evaluation of Potential New Mango Varieties (Pavlos Tsouvaltzis, Moshe Doron, Jeff Brecht, Steve Sargent, Charlie Sims, Jonathan Crane). This project was begun in 2019, paused in 2020, and completed in 2021. Mango fruit of 19 cultivars that were previously identified (by J. Crane) as having export potential were harvested at commercial export maturity (Stage 2-3 on a 1-5 scale based on internal color development) during the Florida mango season and their quality evaluated, with comparison made to the standard variety, Tommy Atkins, in both years for: 1) physical, chemical and sensory quality; 2) tolerance of the APHIS insect quarantine HWT; 3) performance in common postharvest storage/transport temperatures and conditions. Combining the tolerance of fruit to hot water quarantine treatment, CI, and decay incidence, the 19 cultivars were ranked (high to low) as follows: 1. Edward > 2. Palmer > 3. Glenn > 4. Rapoza = Ott > 6. Southern Blush > 7. Rosigold > 8. Tommy Atkins = Valencia Pride = Mallika ≈ Rosa = Kensington Pride >13. Espada > 14. Cogshall > 15. Maha Chinook > 16. Young > 17. Duncan > 18. Nam Doc Mai > 19. Vallenato. In conclusion, there were seven mango cultivars that appeared almost without exception among the uppermost ranked cultivars in all of the tested categories: 1. Edward, 2. Palmer, 3. Glenn, 4. Rapoza and Rosigold, 6. Mallika, and 7. Southern Blush. We proposed that these cultivars be considered for further testing by the National Mango Board.

University of Georgia, Angelos Deltsidis

• Investigating the potential of ozonated and oxygenated water as a replacement of chlorinated water for peach sanitation during hydrocooling. A new technology called High-Oxygen Water (HOW) has been gaining traction as an alternative sanitation system based on the generation of stable nanobubbles of oxygen in water without the need of chemicals. The suspended solution can potentially reduce microorganism loads and could serve as an effective sanitation treatment for peaches during hydrocooling without the generation of chemical residues. If effective, the adoption of HOW could lead to a significant reduction of chemical and water consumption during the postharvest processing of peaches in the packinghouse. Based on our research no changes in the current packing line need to be made other than the addition of the HOW generator in place of the chlorine injection system. Our team is evaluating the benefits of HOW by determining quality changes and decay incidence during storage compared to the standard sodium hypochlorite treatment. Peaches were treated using HOW at 10, 20, 30 ppm of dissolved oxygen in a water tank for 30 minutes. This treatment was compared with a sodium hypochlorite treatment at 50 ppm of free chlorine as the standard agricultural practice in the industry. Peaches were stored at 35°F and 90% relative humidity (RH) for 7, 14, 21, and 28 days when postharvest quality was assessed. Another set of experiments is ongoing where peaches were inoculated with Salmonella Newport and E. coli O157:H7 and subsequently treated by immersion in water with nanobubbles of oxygen and ozone. The duration of treatment ranged from 7.5 to 30 minutes and immediately placed at a cold room (32-34°F). The produce samples were evaluated on day 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 for the population of surviving pathogens as well as for quality changes and decay incidence. The overall objective of the study is to evaluate the potential of the technology to sanitize water effectively, investigate its capabilities to suppress postharvest diseases and study the potential negative effects to the fruit quality that occur with its use. For this reason, our team is comparing the new treatment method with the industry standard chlorine water treatments. Results for both of these studies have not been analyzed yet.
• Productivity and postharvest quality traits of novel strawberry cultivars grown in Southeast Georgia. Most commercial strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) growers in the Southeast utilize an annual plasticulture production cycle, planting cultivars that have been used for decades in the region such as ‘Chandler’, ‘Camarosa’ or ‘Sweet Charlie’. Though these strawberry cultivars have proven their acceptability in yield and quality, there are a number of newer, June-bearing cultivars with potential for Southeastern production, that have become widely grown in California and Florida. Some of these cultivars are photoperiod-sensitive and have not been used in Georgia since warm weather conditions are expected to cause softening of the fruit, dramatically reducing their storability and acceptability. To our knowledge, there are no studies that investigate the suitability of those cultivars in the local climatic conditions. For this study, nine June-bearing and four day-neutral cultivars, obtained as plugs, were established in a commercial U-pick operation of the Coastal Plain (Lowndes County, GA) in early November. The experimental beds were cordoned off the rest of the field and were drip irrigated and fertilized with frost protection provided via row covers on a need basis. This work aimed to evaluate thirteen, new to the area cultivars under Coastal Plain growing conditions when it comes to viability, productivity and fruit quality at harvest and after cold storage. The first harvest occurred in late January 2020 while the last one in mid-March (experiment was halted early due to university COVID-19 restrictions). Mature, red strawberries were harvested in individual plastic bags and stored in clamshells at 1°C with 90% relative humidity for seven days. Results from this one-year study show that cultivars Albion (Day-Neutral var.) and Ruby June (Short-Day var. with long day characteristics) were the latest to start producing fruit in February. This resulted in lower yields compared to other varieties, firmness at harvest was on the lower side due to the possible negative impact of high heat and increased rain incidence. Strawberry cultivars Festival and Camarosa (short day varieties) had between 2-3 times higher yields per plant with medium/smaller fruit size. Also, Florida Beauty (Weak Day Neutral), Florida Radiance and Sensation (short day with long day characteristics) had the smallest fruit size overall. It is notable to mention that firmness at harvest was lower for varieties that were bred in locations other than the Southeast (Calinda-Netherlands, Ruby June-CA). Soluble Solid Concentrations (SSC) did not vary a lot between varieties while no pattern was detected based on the origin of the cultivar. Also, SSC changed over time possibly due to the effect of cooler night temperatures.

Univ. of Maryland, Macarena Farcuh. UCDavis researchers (Dr. Eduardo Blumwald, Dr. Larry Lerno, Dr. Hiromi Tajima), Penn State University researchers (Dr. Jim Schupp, Dr. Helene Hopfer, Dr. Daniel Weber), UMD (Dr. Joseph Sullivan, Dr. Rohan Tikekar)

• Effect of Rootstocks on Buckeye Gala fruit quality. This planting consists on Buckeye Gala on ten different rootstocks (9T337, M.26, NZ.1, NZ.2, G.41, G.11, G.4814, G.935, B.10, G.969) established on Spring 2019 in Keedysville, MD. We are evaluating for two seasons the effect of rootstock on fruit maturity and fruit quality parameters, which include: internal ethylene concentration (uL L^-1), fruit skin red (blush) color, chlorophyll content using the difference of absorbance (DA) meter (Index of Absorbance Difference, I_AD), flesh firmness (lbs), starch content (Cornell scale from 1(full starch)-8 (starch-free)), soluble solids contents (%), acidity (% malic acid). So far, we only have one season on collected data so we are planning to repeat these measurements this upcoming season. For our one season data we can already see that there are clear effects on fruit quality based on the rootstock under Maryland environmental conditions.
• Impact of preharvest plant growth regulators and reflective groundcovers on Honeycrisp skin coloration and fruit maturity. The aim was to characterize and compare the effects and interactions of reflective groundcover (Extenday) and AVG treatments in red skin and background color, blush surface percentage, ethylene production rates, and fruit drop of Honeycrisp fruits from the lower third of the canopy. Four treatments were established: T1, AVG+ Extenday; T2: NoAVG+ Extenday; T3: AVG +NoExtenday; T4: NoAVG+ NoExtenday. AVG (333 g/acre) was applied and reflective groundcovers were deployed four weeks before anticipated harvest. Honeycrisp fruit were harvested at 0, 1 and 2 weeks after anticipated harvest, and evaluation of the traits listed above were conducted on each date. Our results showed that the lowest hue values for surface and background color at all dates were for T2, followed by T1 and T4, while T3 fruit were highest, indicating that Extenday deployment increased red skin coloration and background color change from green to yellow even in AVG-treated fruit. Differences in red skin coloration correlated with blush surface percentage results. Ethylene production was highest in T2, followed by T4 and T1, and lowest in T3 fruit, indicating that Extenday can affect fruit ethylene production rates, thus fruit maturity, independent of AVG treatment. Extenday treatment did not enhance fruit drop. Our results contribute to further understanding how preharvest tools can influence Honeycrisp fruit ripening and quality.
• Improving Honeycrisp red skin coloration using postharvest ultraviolet irradiation treatments under different storage temperatures. The goal was to evaluate and compare the effect of different postharvest ultraviolet (UV) irradiation treatments, applied under different storage temperatures on Honeycrisp skin red coloration, surface blush percentage, and ethylene production rate. Honeycrisp fruit were harvested at optimal maturity, and submitted to postharvest UVA (600,800,1200,2400 kJ m^-2) and UVB (200, 400, 600, 800 kJ m^-2) irradiation treatments in the unblushed side during a seven-day conditioning period at either 5 ºC or 10 ºC, and transferred to cold storage at 3 ºC, along with dark and white light controls. The results showed a dose-dependent, dramatic decrease in hue values of the skin, with 2400 kJ m^-2 UVA and 800 kJ m^-2 UVB displaying the lowest hue values. The dose dependent increase in red skin coloration observed for UVA and UVB correlated with a significantly higher skin red blush percentage area. These red skin coloration differences were higher in fruit treated at 10 ºC compared to those treated at 5 ºC. No differences were observed in ethylene production rates in fruit submitted to UV treatments, regardless of the wavelength, dose, or conditioning temperature, compared to control fruit. Overall, postharvest UV irradiation is a promising tool for promoting postharvest skin coloration in Honeycrisp apples. Our results contribute to the identification of optimal dosage application treatments.
• Characterizing the effect of different harvest maturities and storage temperatures on fruit quality, ripening patterns, and chilling injury development of commercially important apple cultivars grown in the Mid-Atlantic Region. For the two consecutive years, that maturity at harvest plays a key role on the quality characteristics, ripening patterns, and development of physiological disorders of Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji and EverCrisp apple cultivars grown in the Mid-Atlantic region, and may therefore directly influence fruit marketability. Fruit that is harvested at an advanced maturity will display higher red skin coloration percentage, and higher soluble solids contents. Nevertheless, they will also display higher ethylene concentration levels, lower firmness values, lower chlorophyll contents, and increased susceptibility to cracking, rot, and watercore development. Honeycrisp fruit harvested at an advanced maturity will develop chilling injury symptoms, with higher incidence in fruit stored at 33°F than at 38°F, even after conditioning. Honeycrisp fruit harvested earlier in the season will have a higher incidence of bitter pit, especially if stored at 38°F after conditioning. Furthermore, harvest decisions will be defined by the cultivar/strain, preharvest management practices (e.g. application of plant growth regulators), as well as by the target market. It is of utmost importance to monitor fruit maturity throughout ripening on the tree, starting 4-5 weeks before the anticipated normal harvest date, and to use different maturity indices in order to make the best and most informed harvest and storage decisions.

• Assessing changes in aroma volatiles as predictors of chilling injury development during peach (Prunus persica Batsch) cold storage and subsequent shelf-life. Major symptoms of CI include changes in fruit textural properties (e.g., mealiness) and in aroma volatiles, among others. The aim of this research was to characterize and compare differences in fruit ripening patterns, physicochemical properties, chilling injury incidence, and aroma volatile composition between sound fruit and fruit exposed to CI-inducing conditions to identify key aroma volatiles that could be used to predict CI development during storage. Fruit from the peach cultivar Red Haven were harvested at optimal maturity and stored at 0, 5 and 20°C, then analyzed for the traits listed above after one, three, five, fifteen and thirty days of storage and after a subsequent shelf-life period of three days at 20°C. We detected significant differences among the different treatments in terms of ethylene production rates, texture characteristics, chilling injury incidence, as well as aroma volatile profiles. Multivariate analysis allowed the identification of significant relationships emerging from this extensive dataset and separation of treatments based on their chilling injury susceptibility. Overall, our results contribute to the identification of key aroma volatile compounds that could be used as early predictors of susceptibility to peach chilling injury.
• Changes in ethylene and sugar metabolism regulate flavonoid composition in climacteric and non-climacteric plums during postharvest storage. Plums are rich in flavonoids, key contributors to fruit coloration and putative health benefits. We studied the impact of changes in ethylene and sugars in flavonoid metabolism-related pathways of the climacteric Santa Rosa and its non-climacteric mutant Sweet Miriam, throughout the postharvest period. Fruits were harvested at optimal maturity, subjected to ethylene treatments, and evaluated during storage. We examined transcript profiles of structural and regulatory genes of flavonoid-related pathways and their associated metabolites in skin and flesh, integrated with multivariate analyses of ethylene and sugar metabolism. Ethylene treatments were positively correlated with anthocyanin and negatively correlated with flavonol and flavan-3-ol metabolism. Sucrose and galactose were positively associated with anthocyanin concentration, while sorbitol, fructose, glucose and minor sugars were correlated with flavonol and flavan-3-ol metabolism. Our results support the notion that ethylene is playing key roles in shifting plum fruit flavonoid profiles, which are also associated with changes in fruit sugars.

Michigan State Univ., Randy Beaudry. Cooperators: Phil Engelgau, Sangeeta Chopra, Renato Lime, Silvanda Silva, Jorigtoo Hubhachen, Ruffus Isaacs, Gustavo Lobos, Claudia Moggia, Aline Priscilla Gomes da Silva, Patrick Abeli, Ben Paskus, Sangeeta Chopra, Norbert Mueller, Robert Tritten, Bill Shane, Amy Irish-Brown, Nikki Rothwell, Phil Schwallier

1.1. A Comparison of Firmness Assessment Instruments for Fresh Blueberry Fruit: Not all texture analysis instruments perform similarly. The reliability of a simple durometer can be as good as the industry and academic standard FirmTech II instrument.

1.2. Lower Oxygen Limit of Apple: The lower oxygen limit as determined by a DCA-RQ system from Storage Control Systems tended to be lower than when ethanol production was used as an indicator of the lower oxygen limit

1.3. Assessing the Performance of Evaporatively Cooled Storages: Evaporative cooling provides only marginal benefits as a means of controlling the loss in quality of harvested perishables, even in a warm and dry climate like that of Rajasthan, India. Alternative cooling methods should be sought for effective control of storage life.

1.4. Setting a safe target internal atmosphere for starch-based coated fruits and vegetables: Adding Tween 40^® to a cooled starch coating enhanced its adhesion compared to a warm starch coating solution, regardless of the structure of the fruit peel surfaces. The internal atmosphere build-up for coated fruits with similar starch matrix coating contents is fruit-specific

2.1. Altering carbon flux via the citramalate pathway using sulfonyl urea herbicides: Application of rimsulfuron to apple disks inhibited the formation of 'downstream' branched-chain esters, but boosted the formation of 'upstream' elements of the citramalate pathway, demonstrating its active involvement in the formation of esters during fruit ripening.

North Carolina State Univ. Penelope Perkins-Veazie,

Cooperators:  Massimo Iorizzo, NCSU; Patricio Munoz, Univ. Florida; Nahla Bassil, USDA; Suzanne Johanningmeier, USDA-ARS; Heeduk Oh, NCSU; Marlee Trandel, USDA-ARS

• Consumer blueberry fruit quality is highly related to fruit firmness and perceived sweetness. Three probes (2 mm flat probe, needle probe, and one inch acrylic flat probe) with different penetration strategies were trialed to assess blueberry firmness on large fruit populations in addition to berry weight loss, stem scar size, wrinkle, and mold/leak. Using the 2 mm flat probe, peel elasticity and weight loss were found to predict shelf life with a 70-80% fit, supporting the possibility that weight loss and associated aspects were key to storage life in the 60 cultivars In contrast, the needle probe did a better job at separating the firmness of individual blueberry cultivars. The large flat probe is being trialed for double compression to see if it will be useful in better estimating consumer perception of blueberry firmness.
• Blueberry cell wall composition of peel and flesh (Marlee Trandel): Blueberry cultivars (Vaccinium corymbosum) are crisp, firm, or soft phenotypes at harvest; firm cultivars can become soft after In previous cell wall research, the major neutral sugar components of glucose, galactose, xylose, arabinose, rhamnose and fucose were followed. Here, methods were optimized to look at blueberry peel and pulp from three cultivars with different texture phenotypes. Hemicellulose was higher in pulp and peel of firm or crisp phenotypes. Monosaccharides in cell walls differed among phenotypes as well as between peel and pulp and 45 cell wall linkages were identified. These findings may be helpful in developing molecular markers in blueberry breeding programs.
• Changes in blueberry composition over 6 weeks storage at 2 C were followed for 60 cultivars (mostly SHB) grown in North Carolina. Malic acid increased and citric acid decreased over time. The soluble solids content and soluble sugars also decreased over time but were not well correlated with each other, indicating that SSC may not be a good predictor of total sugars in blueberry.

 USDA-ARS Beltsville, Tianbao Yang and Wayne Jurick.

• PATHMAP - Cell Phone App and Dashboard to Track Tree Fruit Pests and Physiological Disorders. PATHMAP (Pathogen And Tree fruit Health Map) is a smart phone application (app) and interactive dashboard developed specifically for support specialists, extension personnel, and university scientists supporting the tree fruit industry. The PATHMAP app collects detailed information about observed diseases, insect pests, and disorders and the option. The data is then visualized using a graphical interface dashboard displaying an interactive color-coded map. Prior to the development of PATHMAP, abundant tree fruit disorder data were collected each year, but a central interactive repository for archiving data and facilitating communication of field observations did not exist. PATHMAP has been beta-tested by university extension personnel, private consultants, and university scientists to ensure usability and functionality. PATHMAP will be used within the tree fruit industry for monitoring known pest patterns, occurrences, and outbreaks of emerging pathogens. It will augment existing extension diagnosis listservs which have value in visual diagnosis but are cumbersome and have no archiving capabilities. Data obtained through the tool can be used in epidemiological meta-analyses, to develop new predictive models, and can serve as a platform to track emerging pathogens, insects, and disorders for a variety of cropping systems.

2.1. Enzymatic browning study by comparative transcriptome analysis of romaine lettuce cultivars with different browning potentials. Enzymatic browning on the cut edge of lettuce significantly limits its quality and shelf life. To characterize its molecular mechanisms, we performed comparative transcriptome analysis of three Romaine lettuce cultivars: Tall Guzmaine (TG), Parris Island Cos (PC) and Clemente (CL, derived from PC x TG). They represent high, low and medium browning potential respectively. Before cutting, the phenylpropanoid and oxidative stress genes, such as PAL1, MYB1 and PPO were highly expressed in PC relative to TG, while the expressions of genes involved in auxin, cytokinin hormone signalings and defense, such as ARF, AHP and PTI in PC were higher than TG. The transcription levels of all these genes in CL were intermediate between TG and PC. On day 3 after cutting, the expression of these phenylpropanoid and oxidative stress genes in all three cultivars were remarkably increased, with their levels in TG higher than those in PC and CI. In comparison, expressions of the hormone and defense genes were reduced in all three cultivars, with their levels in PC being highest. Exogenous application of auxin (IAA) and cytokinin (6-BA) inhibited lettuce browning possibly by reducing the expression of those browning related genes. These results demonstrate that lettuce tissue browning is resulted from reduced level of growth hormone (mainly auxin) and increased biosynthesis and oxidation of phenolics. This study provides the useful knowledge and functional markers for lettuce breeders and industry stakeholders to select low tissue browning cultivar and manage lettuce quality during storage and processing.

Renae Moran, University of Maine

Objective 1, Subobjective 1. Honeycrisp harvest and handling.

Rapid Induction of Chilling Injury. Rationale: to determine relative risk for bitter pit and chilling injury so that growers can  segregate fruit from high risk orchards or to adjust storage temperature according to the likelihood for each type of disorder.

              At harvest in 2020 and 2021, 30 apples from the same orchards used for the passive test were put in a programmable freezer set to -1 °C for 3 weeks to rapidly induce soft scald and soggy breakdown.  Both disorders were measured after three weeks.  In a different set of apples, soft scald and soggy breakdown were measured after 4 months cold storage at 1 and 3 °C with and without conditioning. 

              In 2020, soft scald was highly variable among orchards and ranged from 0% to 86% after 4 months storage at 1 °C and from 0% to 22% at 3 °C (Figure 1). Rapid induction at harvest was predictive of soft scald (r² = 0.76) and soggy breakdown (r² = 0.70).  The rapid induction test was effective in identifying orchards with the greatest risk of chilling injury.

In 2021, two cold storage failures in the first weeks of storage 2021 occurred so all apples were essentially conditioned and as expected, so the predictions of soft scald (r² = 0.29) and soggy breakdown (r² = 0.55) in storage were not as strong (not shown).

Washington State Univ. and USDA-ARS, Wenatchee, WA, Carolina Torres and David Rudell

• Optimization of preharvest and postharvest fruit quality in organic apples: All CA/DCA storage regimes evaluated, including conditioning at harvest and a period in RA in the cold chain after CA/DCA storage, were suitable for long-term storage of Honeycrisp and Fuji apples. Nevertheless, preharvest managements (nutrition, pathogens, etc) and seasonal climate will greatly affect the amount of decay and incidence of physiological disorders during the storage period. 2. In Year 2, soft scald incidence was significantly reduced by all CA/DCA storage regimes compared to Honeycrisp apples stored in air for 4 months. This need to be further study (Year 3 postharvest evaluations are ongoing), because the 2020/2021 season had a low soft scald pressure compared to the previous one. 3. Overall, the application of aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG- Retain OL) on Gala (Year 1 and 2) and Honeycrisp (only Year 1) apples effectively delayed fruit maturity progression preharvest, and maintained fruit firmness higher, although not always statistically significant and dose and timing-dependent, until 9 months in CA plus 7 days at 68°F when compared to the untreated control. Skin color development was negatively affected by AVG treatments preharvest in Honeycrisp. 3. Honeycrisp apples stored in low pressure (RipeLocker, RL) at 33°F were comparable in terms of fruit maturity to those stored in CA at 37°F (plus 4 weeks in air). Soft scald incidence was block-dependent the first year and slightly higher in RL-stored fruit in Year 2 (2.5% vs 0.4%). Bitter pit (+lenticel blotch pit) was reduced by vacuum RL in most sites in both years. Similar results in fruit maturity for Fuji apples, as well as overall low disorder incidence in all CA/RL storage protocols.
• New active ingredients to control superficial scald on pears: 1. Formulations containing phytosqualane reduced or eliminated superficial scald of ‘d’Anjou’ on fruit from various growing environment (orchards, regions), comparable with ethoxyquin; 2. Superficial scald control was achieved even when applied 2 weeks after commercial harvest. 3. Formulated squalane also impacted peel degreening improving the overall condition of the fruit after 8 months in storage.
• To evaluate new non-destructive tools to assess fruit maturity and fruit quality (FL, HI, ME, MI, MN, NY, ON).  New instruments, such as the DA meter (chlorophyll assessment) and F750 (primarily dry matter concentrations but can be used to model other quality attributes) are becoming available to researchers and industry. We will collaborate in this project to assess the utility of these tools, alone and in combination, for their relationships with maturity and quality assessments by traditional means. Work in this sub-objective will overlap with 1 and 2 as appropriate, but the focus will be on use of these tools for prediction of optimal timing of preharvest plant growth regulator sprays, and for prediction of physiological storage disorders. Collaborative research approaches have been designed. Data will be analyzed collectively and reviewed at the annual multistate project meeting.
• Non-destructive hyperspectral indices to sort sun-stressed apples: We have developed an index using reflectance from hyperspectral images, that can be used to sort apples according to their relative cumulative sun exposure on the tree and sunscald susceptibility postharvest. The index is based on chlorophyll and carotenoid absorption wavelengths (430, 662, 454, and 549 nm). Also, we have established a protocol to tailor the index and the sunscald risk among orchards and growing seasons. Ongoing work is focused on improving the data acquisition time by reducing the information needed and later transfer this technology to the fruit industry.

Univ. of California, UC Davis, Mitcham, et al.

• Changes in raspberry sensory quality after harvest as affected by CO2 atmospheres (Rana Islam and Elizabeth Mitcham): Our study explored the effects of holding raspberries at 5°C in four different CO2 atmospheres;15 kPa, 8 kPa, 5 kPa and 0.03 kPa (air) on fruit sensory quality and shelf life. Berries were evaluated periodically during 2 weeks of storage in 2020 and 2021. Raspberry visual attributes deteriorated over time in all atmospheres, but CO2 atmospheres reduced decay and berry discoloration, and slowed the rate of deterioration and leakiness. After 5 days, the quality of air stored raspberries was significantly degraded, while raspberries stored in elevated CO2 maintained firmness with bright red color up to 10 days. In 2021, a trained sensory panel conducted a descriptive sensory evaluation of the raspberry fruit after 5, 10 and 13 days of storage and found that raspberries stored in 8 kPa and 15 kPa CO2 had the least off-flavor and highest tartness. Raspberries stored in 8 kPa CO2 scored highest in the raspberry flavor with substantial juiciness and sweetness score. The total content of volatile compounds in the raspberry fruit increased over time during storage. The fermentative volatiles; acetaldehyde and ethanol were higher in raspberries stored in 15 kPa CO2, but off-flavor was not detected in these fruit. Most other volatiles were lower in raspberries stored in increasing CO2 concentrations, including flavor-related volatiles a-ionone, and a-terpineol, limonene and linalool. After 10 days, the quality of raspberries stored in air (0.03 kPa CO2} or 5 KPa CO2 had significantly degraded, while those stored in 8 or 15 kPa CO2 remained in good condition.
• Development of low cost, rapid, non-destructive systems for measuring postharvest characteristics (Nick Reitz and Elizabeth Mitcham): In the past year, we have developed low cost, rapid, non-destructive systems for water loss, respiration, rancidity, and surface moisture testing. The water loss testing system uses temperature, relative humidity, and pressure measurements to calculate the rate of water loss after a 30 second residence in a sealed chamber. The measured water loss rate is used in a newly developed model that predicts changes in water loss rate during storage. Predictions using this method are accurate for various products with widely differing water loss rates. A similar system can be used for making respiration measurements in 4-5 minutes. Additionally, entire packages can be placed in the chamber to measure the effect of packaging. We have also developed a rapid rancidity sensor based on the headspace accumulation rate of total volatile organic compounds in a sealed This system has been tested with walnuts and oils with good correlation to hexanal concentration and peroxide value. We have also developed a pseudo quantitative surface moisture testing instrument using a conductivity-based rain sensor. This system can be applied to leafy vegetables to determine sufficient field, wash, or treatment water removal. Results indicate that this system accurately tracks trends during washing and drying.

Hawaii,  Robert E Paull 

Objective 1. Adapt or develop harvest, handling and storage technologies to improve fruit quality, increase consumption and reduce food waste.

            A major cause of losses in pineapple is a combination of preharvest factors and postharvest handling practices. One major preharvest losses is precocious flowering during short days with cool nights. This is coupled to our lack of understanding of how ethylene induces flowering in the Bromeliads. Transcription data indicates that the ethylene response impacts jasmonic acid synthesis, major modifications in DNA expression that within three days starts the change from a vegetative to floral apex.

            Sampling of pineapple with and without translucency was completed and the gene transcription data received from sequencing. Initial evaluation of the expression data suggests that sugar metabolism is not dramatically altered in translucent. Upon completion of the flowering data  analysis this will be a focus in the next reporting period.

            Fresh breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis (Parkins) Fosberg) cv. Ma'afala maturity was defined as full size with steady internal quality, and breadfruit reached this point at 15 weeks of development.  Skin color and intersegment space color were the most accurate indicators of maturity, classifying mature breadfruit with 90% accuracy.

 Objective 2. Improve our understanding of the biology of fruit quality to further our development of harvest and storage technology and development of new plant materials.

 Melatonin (MT) effects on pineapple quality of pineapple was investigated in fruit dipped in a 0.1 mM solution for 10 minutes and then stored at 9 °C for 21 days followed by 4 days at 22 °C. MT application delayed the over-ripening process in pineapple during storage. The respiration rate was reduced (? 47.7 %) after 7 days of cold storage, and shell color and flesh firmness losses were delayed in treated fruit compared to untreated fruit. Flesh translucency and internal browning due to chilling injury were higher in untreated control versus treated fruit.

 Treatment of Ma’afala Breadfruit with 1-MCP delayed the onset of the climacteric peak by an average of 6 days (65% delay), delayed softening by an average of 7 days (63% delay), and reduced variation in these traits.  Treatment with 1-MCP however did not delay discoloration.

Journal Articles and Abstracts

Abeli, P.J., P.D. Fanning, R. Isaacs, R.M. Beaudry. 2021. Blueberry fruit quality and control of blueberry maggot (Rhagoletis mendax Curran) larvae after fumigation with sulfur dioxide. Postharvest Biol. Technol. 179, 111568, ISSN 0925-5214, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2021.111568.

Adkison, C., K. Richmond, N. Lingga, V. Bikoba, and E. Mitcham 2021. Optimizing walnut storage conditions: Effects ofrelative humidity, temperature, and shelling on quality after storage. HortScience 56(10):1244-1250.

Adkison, C., K. Richmond, N. Lingga, V. Bikoba, and E. Mitcham 2021. Optimizing walnut storage conditions: Effects ofrelative humidity, temperature, and shelling on quality after storage. HortScience 56(10):1244-1250.

Al Shoffe, Y., Nock, J.F., Zhang, Y., Watkins, C.B. 2021. Physiological disorder development of ‘Honeycrisp’ apples after pre- and post-harvest 1-methycyclopropene (1-MCP) treatments. Postharvest Biol. Technol. 182: 111703. doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2021.111703

Al Shoffe, Y., Nock, J.F., Zhang, Y., Watkins, C.B. 2021. Pre- and post-harvest γ-aminobutyric acid application in relation to fruit quality and physiological disorder development in ‘Honeycrisp’ apples. Scientia Hortic. 289:110431. doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2021.110431

Algul, B.E., Al Shoffe, Y., Park, D.S., Miller, W.B., Watkins, C.B. 2021. Preharvest 1-methylcyclopropene treatment enhances stress-associated watercore loss in ‘Jonagold’ apples. Postharvest Biol. Technol. 181: 111689. doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2021.111689

Awalgaonkar, G. R. Beaudry, and E. Almenar. 2020. Ethylene-removing packaging: Basis for development and latest advances. Compr. Rev. Food Sci. Food Saf. 2020;1–28. DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.12636.

Chopra, S., and R. Beaudry. 2021. Off-grid, clean energy cooling for affordable storage of perishables for BOP farmers.  USAID Webinar. PEER 10th Anniversary Seminar Series. Sept. 21, 2021. https://vimeo.com/612923973.

Chopra, S., N. Mueller, I. Mani, R. Beaudry (2020) Automated solar refrigerated evaporatively cooled storage structure for smallholder farmers. 1^st Webinar Series-Automation in Agriculture, Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers, April 27, 2020, ISAE.

Chopra, S., N. Müller, and R. Beaudry. 2021. Off-grid and batteryless: A practical solar-powered refrigerated storage for smallholder farms in developing countries. Annual meeting Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci., Aug. 5-9, 2021, Denver, CO. (abstract).

Chopra, S., N. Müller, D. Dhingra, I. Mani, T. Kaushik, A. Kumara, and R. Beaudry. 2022. A mathematical description of evaporative cooling potential for perishables storage in India. Postharvest Biol. Technol. 183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2021.111727.

Duduit, J.R., Kosentka, P.Z., Miller, M.A., Blanco-Ulate, B., Lenucci, M.S., Panthee, D.R., Perkins-Veazie, P., Liu, W. 2022. Coordinated transcriptional regulation of the carotenoid biosynthesis contributes to fruit lycopene content in high-lycopene tomato genotypes. Horticulture Research 9 uhac084, https://doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhac084

Edger, P., Iorizzo, M., Bassil, N., Bnevuenuto, J., Ferrao, F., Giong, L., Hummer, K., Lawas, L., Perkins-Veazie, P., Zalaph, J. 2022. There and back again; historical perspective and future directions for Vaccinium breeding and research. Horticulture Research 9: uhac083, https://doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhac083

Engelgau P. and R. Beaudry, 2020. Allelic Variation of MdCMS Both Determines Branched-Chain, and Influences Straight-Chain Ester Synthesis in Apple Fruit. Annual meeting Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci., Aug. 11, 2020. (abstract).

Engelgau, P. and R.M. Beaudry. 2021. Peeling back the secrets to banana aroma biosynthesis. Annual meeting Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci., Aug. 5-9, 2021, Denver, CO. (abstract).

Farcuh, M.*, Tajima, H., Lerno, L., Blumwald, E. (2022). Changes in ethylene and sugar metabolism regulate flavonoid composition in climacteric and non-climacteric plums during postharvest storage. Food Chemistry: Molecular Sciences. 4: 100075. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fochms.2022.100075

Farcuh, M.*, Tajima, H., Lerno, L., Blumwald, E. (2022). Changes in ethylene and sugar metabolism regulate flavonoid composition in climacteric and non-climacteric plums during postharvest storage. Food Chemistry: Molecular Sciences. 4: 100075. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fochms.2022.100075.

Ferenczi, A., N. Sugimoto, and R.M. Beaudry. 2021. Emission patterns of esters and their precursors throughout ripening and senescence in ‘Redchief Delicious’ apple fruit and implications regarding biosynthesis and aroma perception. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. https://doi.org/10.21273/JASHS05064-21

Galeni, M., Mattheis, J., Torres, C.A. 2021. Growing condition and storage regime effects on fruit quality and physiological disorders on ‘Honeycrisp’ apples. Hortscience, 56(9), S224-S224.

Giongo, L., Ajelli, M., Pottorff, M., Mainland, M., Perkins-Veazie, P. and M. Iorizzio. 2022. Comparative multi-parameters approach to dissect texture subcomponents of blueberry at harvest and postharvest. Postharvest Biol. Technol. 183, 111696

Haase A., Evans K., Torres C.A., Kalcsits L. (2021) Phenotyping Sunburn Susceptibility in Apples (9th ed., vol. 56, pp. S95). Hortscience.

Lee, J., Leisso, R., Rudell, D.R., Watkins, C.B. 2022. 1-Methylcyclopropene differentially regulates metabolic responses in the stem-end and calyx-end flesh tissues of ‘Empire’ apple during long-term controlled atmosphere storage. Postharvest Biol. Technol. 192: 112018 doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2022.112018

Lima, R.P., A.S.B. de Sousa, P. Abeli, R.M. Beaudry, and S. de Melo Silva. 2022. Setting a safe target internal atmosphere for starch-based coated fruits and vegetable. Food Control (2022), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2022.109270.

Mahangade, P.S., I. Mani, R. Beaudry, N. Müller, and S. Chopra. 2020. Using Amaranth as a Model Plant for Evaluating Imperfect Storages: Assessment of Solar-refrigerated and Evaporatively-cooled Structures in India. HortScience https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI15249-20.

Moggia, C., O. Peñaloza, J. Torres, S. Romero-Bravo, D. Sepulveda, R. Jara, S. Vivanco, M. Valdés, M. Zúñiga, R.M. Beaudry, and G.A. Lobos. 2022. Within-plant variability in blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) II: Is a shorter harvest interval always the ideal strategy to maximize fruit firmness? Postharvest Bio. Techn. 186 (2022) 111815. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2021.111815

Moggia, C., Y. Valdés, A. Arancibia, M. Valdés, C. Radrigan, G. Icaza, R. Beaudry, and G.A. Lobos. 2022. Reliability of tactile and instrumental firmness assessment in fresh blueberry fruit segregated by firmness at harvest.HortTechnology.  https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH04960-21.

Mogollon R., Mendoza M., Leon L., Rudell D., Torres C.A. (2022). Use of Hyperspectral Images at Harvest to Predict Sunscald Postharvest on Granny Smith Apples. 2022 ASHS annual conference, July 30-August 4, 2022, Chicago, USA.

Mogollon R., Rudell D., Torres C.A. (2022). Use of hyperspectral images and a chlorophyll-related index (Cri) as a non-destructive tool to sort Granny Smith apples according to sun-related disorders postharvest. 31^st International Horticultural Congress, 14-20 Aug., 2022, Angers, France.

Mogollon R., Torres C.A., McCord P. (2022) Fruit firmness in sweet cherries: discrepancy between instrumental measurements and sensory evaluations31^st International Horticultural Congress, 14-20 Aug., 2022, Angers, France.

Mogollon, R., Torres, C.A., Rudell, D. 2021. Detection of non-visible sun stress in ‘Granny Smith’ apples using hyperspectral imaging’, Hortscience, 56(9), S223-S224.

Park, D.S., Al Shoffe, Y., Algul, B.E., Watkins, C.B. 2022. Fermentation metabolism of apple fruit during storage under low oxygen. Postharvest Biol. Technol. In press.

Paskus, B. P. Abeli, and R. Beaudry. 2021. Hypobaric storage of representative root, leaf, fruit, and flower tissues: Comparisons to storage at atmospheric pressure. HortScience, 56: 780-786. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI15786-21.

Raftopoulou, O., M. Kudenov, E.T. Ryser, R. Beaudry, and S. Kathariou. 2021. The use of ultraviolet spectroscopy for non-invasive detection of viable Listeria monocytogenes on apples. IAFP, Phoenix, AZ, July 18 - 21.

Reitz, N.F. and E.J. Mitcham. 2021. Differential effects of excess calcium applied to whole plants vs. excised fruit tissue on blossom-end rot in tomato. Scientia Hortic. 290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2021.110514.

Reitz, N.F. and E.J. Mitcham. 2021. Differential effects of excess calcium applied to whole plants vs. excised fruit tissue on blossom-end rot in tomato. Scientia Hortic. 290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2021.110514.

Sloniker, N. O. Raftopoulou, S. Kathariou, R. Beaudry, and E.T. Ryser. 2021. Survival of Planktonic and Biofilm- grown Listeria monocytogenes on Apples as Affected by Waxing and Storage Conditions. IAFP, Phoenix, July 18 - 21.

Sorokina, M., McCaffrey, K.S, Deaton, E.E., Ma, G., Ordovas, J.M., Perkins-Veazie, P.M., Steinbeck, C., Levi, A. and L.D. Parnell. 2021. A Catalog of Natural Products Occurring in Watermelon-Citrullus lanatus. Frontiers Nutrition, 10.3389/fnut.2021.729822

Staples, R., R. L. LaDuca, L. V. Roze, M. Laivenieks, J. E. Linz, R. Beaudry, A. Fryday, A. L. Schilmiller, A. V. Koptina, B. Smith, F. Trail. 2020. Structure and Chemical Analysis of Major Specialized Metabolites Produced by the Lichen Evernia prunastri. Chem. Biodiv. 17, e1900465.

Sugimoto, N., P. Engelgau, A.D. Jones, J. Song, and R.M. Beaudry. 2021. Citramalate synthase yields a biosynthetic pathway for isoleucine and straight- and branched-chain ester formation in ripening apple fruit. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 118(3) e2009988118. 10 pp. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2009988118.

Sugimoto, N., P. Engelgau, J. Song and R. Beaudry. 2021. Citramalate synthase yields a biosynthetic pathway for isoleucine and straight- and branched-chain ester formation in ripening apple fruit. Annual meeting Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci., Aug. 5-9, 2021, Denver, CO. (abstract).

Taghavi T, Patel H, Rafie R. Anthocyanin Extraction Method and Sample Preparation Affect Anthocyanin Yield of Strawberries. Natural Product Communications. May 2022. doi:10.1177/1934578X221099970

Taghavi, T., Patel, H., Akande, O. E., & Galam, D. C. A. (2022). Total Anthocyanin Content of Strawberry and the Profile Changes by Extraction Methods and Sample Processing. Foods, 11(8), 1072.

Torres C, Gonzalez O, van der Broek K. (2022) Evaluation of controlled atmosphere storage regimes in WA-grown sweet cherries. 31^st International Horticultural Congress, 14-20 Aug., 2022, Angers, France.

Torres C.A., Mogollon R., Critzer F. (2022). The Effect of Water Composition during Processing on Lenticel Browning Disorder on Apples. 2022 ASHS annual conference, July 30-August 4, 2022, Chicago, USA.

Torres C.A., Mogollon R., Yoo J. (2022) Overview of sunscald on pears, a new increasing storage disorder in hot and dry environments.  31^st International Horticultural Congress, 14-20 Aug., 2022, Angers, France.

Torres, C.A. 2021. The effect of seasonal climatic conditions on apple maturity patters pre-and postharvest. Hortscience, 56(9), S158-S158.

Willman, M.R., Bushakra, J.M., Bassil, N., Dossett, M., Perkins-Veazie, P., Bradish, C.M., Femandex, G.E., Weber, C.A., Scheerens, J.C., Dunlap, L., Fresnedo-Ramirez, J. 2022. Analysis of a multi-environment trial for black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis L.) quality traits. Genes 13(3):418 https://doi.org/10.3390/genes13030418

Yoo J., Rudell D., Torres C.A. (2022) Effect of Phytosqualane and Ethoxyquin on Superficial Scald Control in ‘d’Anjou’ Pear. 31^st International Horticultural Congress, 14-20 Aug., 2022, Angers, France.

Yoo, J., Rudell, D. R., Torres, C. A. 2021. Comparative analysis of metabolic differences between sunburn and sunscald on ‘Packhams Triumph’ pear, Hortscience, 56(9), S224-S224.

Zhang, Y., Gao, H., Al Shoffe, Y., Nock, J.F., Watkins, C.B. 2021. γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentrations in relation to antioxidants in fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. Acta Horticulturae 1319:89-96. Doi.10.17660/ActaHortic.2021.1319.11

Zhaorigetu Hubhachen, Q. Suehr, R .Beaudry, S. Jeong, R. Isaacs. 2021. Postharvest management of blueberry maggot, Rhagoletis mendax. Entomology 2021, Denver, Col., Oct. 31 - Nov. 3.

Wang, Diane, Imel, Rachel, Paull, Robert and Kantar, Michael. 2021. An online learning module for plant growth analysis using high-throughput phenotyping data. Natural Sciences Education. Article ID: NSE220056, DOI: 10.1002/nse2.20056 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/nse2.20056

 Yue J-J, R. VanBuren , J. Liu , JP Fang, XT. Zhang , ZY Liao , CM. Wai , XM. Xu , S Chen, SC. Zhang , XK. Ma , YY. Ma , HY. Yu , J. Lin , P. Zhou, YJ Huang, B. Deng, F. Deng, XB. Zhao, HS. Yan, M. Fatima, D. Zerpa, XD. Zhang , ZC. Lin, M. Yang, N. Chen, E. Mora-Newcomer, P. Quesada-Rojas, DA. Bogantes, V. Jiménez, HB. Tang, JS. Zhang, ML. Wang , RE. Paull, QY. Yu. 2022. SunUp and Sunset genomes revealed impact of particle bombardment mediated transformation and domestication history in papaya. Nature Genetics (2022May12). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-022-01068-1

 Wiseman, Ben, Nancy J. Chen, Nao Linclon and Robert E. Paull. 2021. ‘Ulu – Breadfruit Postharvest Handling and Quality Maintenance Guidelines. University of Hawaii at Manoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. Fruit, Nut, and Beverage Crops, FN-58. https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/FN-58.pdf

 Paull, Robert E. and Gail Uruu. 2021. Major Weeds in Pineapple Fields of Hawai'i. University of Hawaii at Manoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. Fruit, Nut, and Beverage Crops, FN-60. https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/FN-60.pdf

Extension Meetings and Publications

Al Shoffe, Y., Park, D.S., Algul, B.E., Watkins C.B. 2022. Storing ‘Honeycrisp’ at 33^oF is a risky proposition. Fruit Quarterly 30(2):11-13.

Algul, B.E., Al Shoffe, Y., Park, D., Jiang, X., Cheng, L., Watkins, C.B. 2021. Harvista^TM and ReTain^® accelerate the dissipation of watercore in apple fruit after harvest. Fruit Quarterly 29(4):24-26.

Basu, P. ^‡, Farcuh, M.* (Apr 2022). Using Plant Growth Regulators to Improve Apple Return Bloom. University of Maryland Extension Vegetable and Fruit News 13(1): 3. Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15mw6TxamKH9uhgQo6zWUeS4WwaVfN6oh/view?usp=sharing

Beaudry, R.M., C. Contreras, and D. Tran. 2021. Honeycrisp conditioning. Fruit Quarterly 29 (1): 13-15.

Cai, Y , Farcuh, M.* (Nov 2021). Are Your Peaches Ready to Harvest? Fact Sheet Number FS-1182. University of Maryland Extension. Link: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/are-your-peaches-ready-harvest-fs-1182

Farcuh, M.* (June 2022). Inking in Peaches and Nectarines: Symptoms, Causes and Control. University of Maryland Extension Vegetable and Fruit News 13(3): 2. Link: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/inking-peaches-and-nectarines-symptoms-causes-and-control

Farcuh, M.* (Nov 2021). Fuji apple fruit quality: effect of harvest maturity and storage temperatures. University of Maryland Extension Vegetable and Fruit News Special Research and Meetings Edition 12(7): 11-12. Link: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/fuji-apple-fruit-quality-effect-harvest-maturity-and-storage-temperatures

Farcuh, M.* (Sep 2021). How can Growers Determine Apple Fruit Maturity and Optimal Harvest Dates? Fact Sheet Number FS-1180. University of Maryland Extension. Link: https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/publications/91.%20Apple_fruit_maturity_FS-1180.pdf

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Jacobs, M. ^‡, Farcuh, M.* (July 2022). Maximizing Apple and Peach Profits with Preventive Bruising Practices. University of Maryland Extension Vegetable and Fruit News 13(4): 3-5. Link: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/maximizing-apple-and-peach-profits-preventative-bruising-practices

McPherson, C., Farcuh, M.* (Nov 2021). Fruit Texture and the Science Behind It. Fact Sheet Number FS-1189. University of Maryland Extension. Link: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/fruit-texture-and-science-behind-it-fs-1189

McPherson, C.‡, Farcuh, M.* (Nov 2021). Fruit Texture and the Science Behind It. Fact Sheet Number FS-1189. University of Maryland Extension. Link: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/fruit-texture-and-science-behind-it-fs-1189

Money, B. ^‡, Farcuh, M.* (Aug 2022). Plant Growth Regulators for Controlling Apple Pre-harvest Drop. University of Maryland Extension Vegetable and Fruit News 13(5): 6-7. Link: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/plant-growth-regulators-controlling-apple-pre-harvest-drop

Watkins, C.B., Al Shoffe, Y., Park, D.S., Dando, R., Rudell, D.R. 2022. Insights into the use of dynamic controlled atmosphere (DCA) storage technology based on results with organically grown apples. Fruit Quarterly 30(1):10-13.

Watkins, C.B., Nock, J.F., Al Shoffe, Y. 2021. Dynamic controlled atmosphere (DCA) storage delays development of flesh browning of ‘Gala’ apples. Fruit Quarterly 29(1):5-8.

Farcuh, M.* (Sep 2021). How can Growers Determine Apple Fruit Maturity and Optimal Harvest Dates? Fact Sheet Number FS-1180. University of Maryland Extension. Link: https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/publications/91.%20Apple_fr

uit_maturity_FS-1180.pdf