Location: Commodity Protection and Quality Research
Project Number: 2034-30600-001-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: May 18, 2025
End Date: May 17, 2030
Objective:
Objective 1: Develop integrated approaches to control postharvest diseases and maintain the postharvest quality of fresh fruits.
Sub-objective 1.A: Integrate pre-storage treatments and hypobaric storage technology to control postharvest diseases and maintain the postharvest quality of blueberries.
Sub-objective 1.B: Integrate pre-storage treatments and hypobaric storage technology to control postharvest diseases and maintain the postharvest quality of table grapes.
Objective 2: Characterize extra virgin avocado oil to expand alternative market opportunities for California-grown avocado varieties.
Sub-objective 2.A: Extract and determine quality aspects of oil from selected avocado varieties grown in California at mid-maturity for each variety.
Sub-objective 2.B: Determine the influence of maturity on extra virgin avocado oil quality using selected varieties identified in Sub-objective 2.A.
Approach:
The goal of this project is to develop innovative postharvest approaches to control postharvest diseases, maintain fruit quality, and expand market opportunities of fresh fruits. Laboratory and cold storage experiments will be conducted to develop new pre-storage approaches using generally-recognized-as-safe (GRAS) substances such as antimicrobial food additive natamycin and ozone, with innovative application and storage technologies such as hypobaric storage, to control postharvest fruit rots and retain fruit quality of blueberries and table grapes. Postharvest disease development, fruit quality parameters, and treatment effects on fruit flavor chemistry will be analyzed to determine their relationships. Laboratory research will also be conducted to characterize oil quality and sensory features to determine minor avocado varieties best suited to produce avocado oil to expand market opportunities for both avocado growers and avocado oil producers.