Plums on the tree can be difficult to judge for ripeness: Many of the varieties grown commercially attain their beautiful color before the fruit is mature. If harvested too soon, plums may not be sweet and flavorful, and they can develop problems in storage. But growers are wary of harvesting late: Fruit can get bruised or punctured, or even drop before harvest. All that impacts how consumers view this nutrition-packed fruit, potentially shifting the combined appearance, aroma and flavor from delight to disappointment.
People in rural regions like mountainous Nepal produce plenty of food. But before it can get to local markets and into people’s homes, much of it spoils. What’s left often has lost much of its nutritional value. Now, Amanda Crump and team are working on a way to get more nutritious food into the homes of Nepalese people
Assistant Professor Brian Bailey and Cooperative Extension Specialist Elizabeth Mitcham, both of the Department of Plant Sciences, are assisting on a project to create a mechanized shake-and-catch harvesting system for soft fruits without fall damage.
Nearly one-third of all the global food production is never eaten. We waste 30 million tons of food in the U.S. and 1.3 billion tons worldwide every year. This has huge economic, environmental and social costs. UC Davis faculty Ned Spang (Food Science and Technology) and Beth Mitcham (Plant Sciences) address the many issues that lead to food waste.
Postharvest specialist Beth Mitcham, a faculty member in the Plant Sciences department at UC Davis, compares quality and cost of “imperfect” fruits and vegetables to store-bought produce. She notes that imperfect produce can be just as good, less expensive, and reduce food waste. VIDEO: Good Morning America.
Small-scale farmers in Cambodia work with UC Davis’ Horticulture Innovation Lab and Royal University of Agriculture researchers to test methods for growing and selling produce. Farmers recognize that fruits and vegetables meet nutrition needs, and help lift themselves out of poverty. (Includes video)
Plant breeders and food safety experts held a conference at UC Davis to discuss issues relevant to food safety, including microbial contamination control in produce throughout the food chain (seeds, field production, pre- and postharvest, packaging, distribution, marketing). Conference chair was Professor Maeli Melotto, Plant Sciences, UC Davis.
Sweet and juicy strawberries that are easy to handle, high-yielding, and disease-resistant. An international team of scientists led by UC Davis and Michigan State University has taken a step that might allow breeders to grow strawberries that meet those needs.