time of the exposure and on return to cool storage at 0 °C. This investigation was based around assessing fruit response to what would be considered the most extreme (yet still likely) breaks in the cool chain (3 d at 20 °C). This approach was taken to
-negative. Classification was determined separately for the months of June through November (warm season, A ) and December through May (cool season, B ) and did not use polymerase chain reaction as a accepted authoritative standard. The areas under (AUC) receiver
steps during the distribution chain. The first link of the strawberry distribution chain consists of removing the field heat from the fruit as soon as possible after harvest, usually by forced air cooling. The importance of prompt precooling on
green turfs, where it can cause a foliar blight and/or a basal rot disease called anthracnose ( Sann 1998 ; Smiley et al. 2005 ). Anthracnose caused by C. cereale has also been reported on other cool-season turfgrasses including fine fescues ( Festuca
among small-acreage growers in the central United States, particularly in the Great Plains area ( Knewtson et al., 2010 ). One of the main challenges that small-acreage growers are facing in this region is access to cooling ( Chiebao et al., 2018
Harvested nectarine fruit [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch `Flavortop'] were held for 5 days at 20 °C, or stored at 0 °C either immediately (control), or after 2 days at 20 °C (delayed-cooling). Observations were conducted after removal from storage for 1, 3, or 5 weeks and a shelf life of 5 additional days at 20 °C. After 5 weeks storage, 87% of control fruit developed woolliness (mealiness in texture accompanied by dry tasting fruit as a result of reduced juice content), while only 7% of delayed-cooling fruit showed signs of woolliness. Firmness of fruit in the delayed-cooling treatment was less at the beginning of ripening than control fruit, but after shelf life in both treatments, fruit reached the same final softness. Expressible juice was lower in woolly fruit (46%) than in healthy fruit (65%). Along with woolliness, viscosity of the resuspended alcohol insoluble residue (cell wall material) of expressed juice increased, implying accumulation of large molecular-weight polymers. The high performance liquid chromatography profile confirmed there were more large pectin polymers (2000 to 76 Ku) in the cell wall components of juice from woolly fruit and a lower arabinose content in these polymers reflected greater side chain removal from pectins in the juice of woolly fruit. Accumulation of larger sized pectin polymers along with high viscosity correlated with lower polygalacturonase activity in woolly fruit. Degradation of soluble pectin released into the juice of woolly fruit may have been impeded by repressed polygalacturonase activity.
Nectarine fruit (Prunus persica (L) Batsch) cv. Fantasia, were ripened immediately after harvest (normal ripening), or stored for 6 weeks either continuously at 0°C or were intermittently warmed (IW) for 48 h at 20C after 2 and 4 weeks, and then ripened. Fruit subjected to IW ripened normally, whereas the continuously stored fruit developed mealiness during ripening. Normal ripening was associated with solubilization and depolymerization of pectic polymers and a net loss of galactose. Only limited pectic solubilization and removal of side chains occurred during ripening of mealy fruit. Pectic polymer polymerization occurred at each IW occasion continued during ripening after storage, but was not as extensive as in normally ripened fruit. Mealy fruit had high autolytic capacity, probably as a result of insoluble pectic polymers in the cell wall that were not solubilized during ripening. The release of uronic acid suggests that cool storage temperatures do not irreversibly inhibit polygalacturonase activity.
This project directly addresses national food safety “priority issues”. Project design incorporates food safety and food chain security as focal points of educational efforts, then initiates practical, producer-level research, teaching, and extension whereby food handling and safety issues are addressed in a systems context. The overall Project goals are (1) to deliver information about Fresh Produce Food Safety (“FPFS”) programs and principles defined in the FDA Guide to fresh fruit and vegetable handlers in the Southeastern United States, (2) to provide hands-on individual state assistance with FPFS program implementation, and (3) to determine the influence of packing line procedures on the survival of foodborne pathogens. Part of the education envisioned under the new grant is introducing the concepts of recall and traceback. These concepts, proposed for incorporation into a new Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) act being discussed for adoption, possibly in 2006, essentially allows for the traceback of food to its point of origin. Osborne and others published a new protocol last month as “Model Recall Program for the Fresh Produce Industry” and want to help growers stay ahead of the curve on these issues. As a consequence of this project, the region's commercial fresh fruit and vegetable handlers will acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to establish effective GAPs programs. Developing new GAPs programs to fit the specific needs of the packing and chain store operations in the Southeastern United States can significantly reduce the possibility of illness originating from Southeastern fresh fruit and vegetables. Delivering such programs will serve as a valuable training tool for fresh produce industries nationwide.
Loss of green color (yellowing) in apples (Malus ×domestica Borkh.) is due to chlorophyll breakdown, an enzyme-mediated reaction conforming to first-order kinetics. Nondestructive measurements of yellowing, using a tristimulus chromameter, were related to chlorophyll content for `Cox's Orange Pippin' and `Granny Smith' apples stored at temperatures of 0 to 35 °C. Yellowing determined by rate constant (k) of total chlorophyll and changes in hue angle, as a function of temperature, increased slowly from 0 to 5 °C, increased exponentially from 5 to 20 °C, reached a maximum from 20 to 24 °C, then declined at higher temperatures. Values of k and the rate of change of hue angle were characterized by a modified Arrhenius equation. `Cox's Orange Pippin' apples harvested early had lower k and lower rates of hue angle change than late-harvested fruit. Values of k and hue angle change of `Granny Smith' apples differed between years but not between harvests. The method used to characterize the relationship between yellowing and temperature may describe changes in other important quality attributes of apple fruit during storage and shelf life and help evaluate the efficacy of cool-chain handling and storage systems.
Over 5 million acres of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) are grown annually on the Texas High Plains, providing important resources to local, state and national economies. In recent years, growers have shown interest in farm diversification in order to increase profits. After determining a market, Agri-Gold, Inc. (Olton, Texas; population 2100) successfully diversified from cotton farming by starting with 30 acres of land and 7 canna lily (Canna ×generalis) varieties, but has now grown to produce 500 acres of cannas, 350 acres of irises (Iris sp.) and 100 acres of daylilies (Hemerocallis sp.). Agri-Gold annually markets 75 varieties of cannas, and over 90 iris and 150 daylily varieties while providing important employment opportunities to 50 full-time personnel and 150 part-time seasonal laborers. Crops are grown and marketed for their reproductive structures (rhizomes, bulbs, and crowns) and sold to retail chains throughout the United States. Warm, dry, sunny days and cool nights provide a quality environment for the reproductive growth of these crops. The arid climate and well-drained soils suppress diseases that may occasionally attack, and there are few natural insects that feed on the roots and foliage. Environmentally friendly products such as composted manure (locally produced) and biologicals, as well as integrated pest management (IPM) strategies are routinely included in field management and production decisions. Recent cooperative research efforts between Agri-Gold and Texas Cooperative Extension have evaluated herbicides for control of yellow (Cyperus esculentus L.) and purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L.), as well as biological treatments for improved root growth and control of winter storage rots.