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The Relationship Between Dry Matter, Season, and Consumer Satisfaction 

Producing fruits whose quality meets consumer satisfaction is the new standard in the food industry.  Effects of seasonal growing conditions on mango dry matter accumulation were monitored in two cultivars since most harvest indices are based only on summer data.  Dry matter content was closely related to soluble sugars and consumer satisfaction but was not… Continue reading…

Precision Techniques can make Horticulture Sustainable

Precision horticulture can increase yields with fewer inputs.  These techniques optimize growing conditions by improving decision-making based on analyzed data to maximize fresh produce quality and yield.  Monitoring quality in all stages is crucial for horticulture crops.  Precision horticulture techniques are suitable for outdoor and indoor farms.  Precision horticulture is becoming attractive as it reduces… Continue reading…

Value Addition to Reduce Post-Harvest Losses

 We need to increase our food production to feed a growing population without using more land and water resources.  One way of improving food security is to reduce food loss in developed and developing countries by value addition.  Food value-addition initiatives exist at small scales around the globe, some of which have export potential.  Maintaining… Continue reading…

Methods of Active Packaging

How we buy and consume food has undergone enormous changes in the last decades. Consumers demand food that is minimally processed, has no chemical additives, and are nutritious and of high quality. In addition, there are stringent national and international controls on food to protect consumers’ health. Also, retailing and distribution have changed, making older… Continue reading…

How Warmer Nights Change Dry Matter Accumulation in Apples

Dry matter is the total of all solids in fruit, starch, sugars, lipids, pigments, acids, etc. We know farm management practices can influence dry matter accumulation in apples. There are also regional dissimilarities due to weather and soil differences. New findings indicate nocturnal temperature variations can also change dry matter. So how would dry matter accumulation… Continue reading…

F-950 Three Gas Analyzer Measuring Ethylene in Ripening Room
F-950 Three Gas Analyzer Measuring Ethylene in Ripening Room

5 Reasons to Monitor Ethylene in the Agriculture Supply Chain

In every development stage, plants produce ethylene, which can be beneficial and harmful. The ripening effect is by far the most economically crucial effect of the gas, followed by abscissing effects.   Lesser known ethylene effects that need to be controlled in the supply chain are sprouting and pathogen detection.  Ethylene is a phytohormone produced by… Continue reading…

Cantaloupe melons growing in a greenhouse

Melon Fruit: Quality, Production & Physiology

Making Sense of the Magical, Mystical Melon   Melons have been around for many millennia, and there are several varieties, both landraces, and new hybrids worldwide. Climacteric and non-climacteric ripening is seen in the various melon varieties. External inspection of sensory attributes like rind color or flavor development is not objective to decide ripeness or… Continue reading…

apple orchard on a sunny day

Ethylene Measurement & Rootstock Influence in Apple

How Rootstocks Influence Apple Fruit Quality and Yield   Besides influencing tree growth and yield of scion cultivars, rootstocks also affect fruit maturity in apples. The experiment found a climacteric pattern, where ethylene production, respiration rates, and oxygen consumption peaked after 5–7 days in fruits produced from all rootstocks. The 17 rootstocks have significant differences… Continue reading…

NIR device scanning an apple in a lab.

Advancing apple quality assessment with the Felix Produce Quality Meter

 Developing an accurate predictive apple quality model is no easy task, but Bart Nicolai and his research team at KU Leuven are cracking the code using the F-750 Produce Quality Meter. In over 20 years of research employing near-infrared technology, Mr. Nicolai has used or profiled nearly every NIR tool on the market. His…

man assessing produce quality in a greenhouse

The 5 Most Important Parameters in Produce Quality Control

Quality control throughout the process of precision horticulture is vital to maximizing efficient food production. Five quality parameters are regularly relied upon for the most accurate assessment of produce quality: dry matter, soluble sugars, titrable acidity, color, and firmness. These parameters act as maturity index and can optimize quality and yield in the supply chain… Continue reading…