Trevor V. Suslow
 |
Associate Extension Specialist |
Education
BS University of California, Berkeley Agricultural Sciences
1975
MS University of California, Berkeley Plant Pathology 1977
PhD University of California, Berkeley Plant Pathology 1980
Professional Experience
Postdoctoral Fellow MAFF Biocontrol Project; Leeds, England
1981
Research Scientist Advanced Genetic Sciences, Inc. 1981-89
Director, Product Research DNA Plant Technology, Corp. 1989-95
Visiting Scientist University of California, Berkeley 1995
Extension Specialist Dept. of Vegetable Crops, UC Davis Oct. 1995- Present
Research
My research interests are in all aspects of postharvest pathology, microbiology, and maintainenece of produce quality throughout transportation and distribution. My programs will develop new information and strategies to combine technologies for produce sensory quality and safety from the farm to consumers. Prior to my recent arrival in the Department of Vegetable Crops I spent many years conducting and directing programs in biological control to manage losses due to crop pests and diseases. I also directed programs in applied biotechnology for plant disease resistance and enhanced sensory quality of perishable produce. I was responsible for field and factory evaluations of improved crop varieties, agronomic improvement programs and microbial controls for fresh-cut products. These research and development programs were conducted at a private agricultural biotechnology company in Oakland, CA.
I plan to develop research programs that target alternative control strategies for the postharvest pathogen Botrytis. Botrytis cinerea is a serious postharvest decay pathogen on a wide diversity of crops. Losses due to B. cinerea can be very high in storage and transportation. A number of temperature and atmospheric composition technologies have been developed to replace synthetic chemical pesticides for the control of postharvest losses to this and other fungal pathogens. Despite these management tools, losses due to B. cinerea remain seasonally high. Additional disease management strategies with biological competitors, transgenic disease resistance, and non-chemical surface disinfestation need to be integrated with enhanced temperature management systems for maximum product protection.
Additionally, the development of baseline information on the endocarpic infestation of postharvest spoilage microorganisms during field production will be valuable data to design control strategies for the fresh-cut industry. Microbes, such as lactobacillus-type bacteria and yeasts, are key spoilage organisms limiting the quality and shelf-life of fresh-cut melons. Surface disinfestation prior to processing does not impact these internal colonizers. The temporal sequence for their infestation of melons during flowering may provide insights to variety selection and biological competitors to exclude them from the seed cavities.
Research demonstrations of temperature management impacts on perishable produce in transportation remain an important area of activity to highlight best conditions for the preservation of quality and an assurance of safety. Modern, miniaturized datalogging units and infrared video scanning thermometry will be used to assist the industry in assessing the quality of the cold chain control. The tools of biotechnology will be utilized to develop biological reporter systems for temperature and vibration stresses to selected produce during transportation and handling. The modification of existing or novel, readily visualized, indicators of predisposing events that diminish quality or increase food safety risks will be explored.
Outreach
My outreach and education programs will focus on temperature mangement during transportation, integrated technologies for postharvest quality management in vegetables, and the impact of biotechnology on vegetable production, processing, marketing and consumption.
A clear role for my position, as extension specialist in transportation of perishable produce, will be to serve as an applied research facilitator and information bridge between shippers, transport brokers, transport carriers and receivers.
I am an instructor in the Postharvest Technology Short Course, designed to showcase principles and technological procedures for handling fresh horticultural crops. I am also an instructor in the University Extension workshop : Fresh-Cut Products: Maintaining Quality and Safety. This short course is designed for food professionals and foodservice buyers to provide a comprehensive overview of this rapidly growing area of produce handling.
Selected References
2002 Suslow, T.V., J. Wu, W.F. Fett and L.J. Harris. Detection and elimination of Salmonella Mbandaka from naturally-contaminated alfalfa seed by treatment with heat or calcium hypochlorite. Journal of Food Protection Vol. 65, No. 3, pp. 452-458
2002 Suslow, T.V., B. Thomas and K.J. Bradford. Biotechnology
provides new tools for plant breeding. ANR 8043. (http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu)
2002 Suslow, T.V. Production practices affecting the potential for persistent
contamination of plants by microbial foodborne pathogens. Chapter 16. In:
Phyllosphere Microbiology. APS Press, Minneapolis, MN. pp. 241-256
2003 Suslow, T.V., M.P. Oria, L.R. Beuchat, E.H. Garrett, M.E. Parish, L.J. Harris, J.N. Farber, F.F. Busta. 2003. Production practices as risk factors in microbial food safety of fresh and fresh-cut produce. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 2S:38-77.
2003 Parish, M.E., T.V. Suslow, L.R. Beuchat , L.J. Harris, E.H. Garrett, J.N. Farber, F.F. Busta. 2003. Methods to Reduce/Eliminate pathogens from Fresh and Fresh-cut Produce. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 2S: 161-173
2003 Lindow, S. and T.V. Suslow. 2003. Temporal dynamics of the biological control agent Pseudomonas fluorescens strain A506 in flowers in inoculated pear trees. Phytopathology 93:727-737
2003 Suslow, T.V. Key Points of Control and Management of Microbial Food Safety: Information for Growers, Packers, and Handlers of Fresh-Consumed Horticultural Products. ANR 8102.