Location: Commodity Protection and Quality Research
Project Number: 2034-43000-043-040-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Oct 1, 2021
End Date: Jun 30, 2024
Objective:
Conduct postharvest research to demonstrate the efficacy of postharvest treatments toward key insect pests of California pomegranates exported to Australia and New Zealand.
Approach:
Utilize a cooperative effort between USDA-ARS, USDA-APHIS, California industry, and foreign counterparts to address pest-related barriers to export. Particular attention will be paid to the expansion and retention of export markets. Pests will be targeted with postharvest techniques including, fumigation and low-oxygen treatments. Exploratory studies will be used to identify the efficacious parameters for methyl bromide, phosphine, ethyl formate, and low-oxygen treatments. Research will follow with pilot- and commercial- scale confirmatory testing concomitant with quality and microbiological evaluations. Treatment parameters will be tailored to infrastructural and logistical requirements of industry and contemporary methods of production, storage, and distribution. 2021-22 research involves optimization of methyl bromide treatments.
