Graduate students Isabel Ortega-Salazar and Saskia Mesquida Pesci swept the Young Minds awards for the best student oral presentations at the Postharvest 2024 International Conference, recently hosted by the International Society for Horticultural Science.
UC Davis' Feed the Future Innovation Lab showcased low-cost postharvest technologies to young African leaders. Simple solutions like solar dryers and CoolBot cold rooms can reduce food waste, boost farmer incomes, and improve food security globally.
Advances in breeding and postharvest handling in strawberries and tomatoes, aimed at reducing the costs of disease in the field and in postharvest, were on display at the recent Strawberry Disease Field Day, hosted by the UC Davis Strawberry Breeding Program.
UC Davis research reveals how postharvest handling and cold storage impact tomato flavor at the molecular level. Findings may help optimize storage, reduce food waste, and improve fruit quality for growers and consumers.
UC Davis’ Postharvest Research and Extension Center is expanding industry partnerships, launching new courses, enhancing research, and offering free online resources. The goal is to support produce quality, safety, and innovation worldwide.
Storing fresh produce correctly can save you money and time by keeping your tomatoes, grapes, broccoli and other fresh fruits and vegetables in tip-top condition for as long as possible. UC Davis’ Produce Heroes game teaches proper produce storage to reduce food waste and climate impact. Learn fridge vs. countertop tips through a fun, educational cornhole game.
Cooling vegetables just after harvest prolongs shelf life and maintains quality. Most California vegetables are precooled before shipment using Cold air, Cold water, Ice, and/or Vacuum. Several of these were developed at UC Davis in the 1970s and 1980s in Plant Sciences, and in Biological and Agricultural Engineering.
Small growers can build their own farm-scale coolers at a fraction of the cost of conventional units, thanks to the invention of a device that adjusts air conditioners to drop the temperature all the way down to refrigeration levels.
