通过贮藏技术提高特种果蔬作物的质量并减少损失

NE2336: Improving Quality and Reducing Losses in Specialty Fruit and Vegetable Crops through Storage Technologies

Duration: 10/01/2023 to 09/30/2028

Administrative Advisor(s): Christopher B. Watkins
NIFA Reps: Mathieu Ngouajio

Non-Technical Summary Statement of Issues and Justification

US growers produce an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, but deterioration of quality, storage disorders, decay and contamination with mycotoxins continue to cause considerable losses.  As a result, the fresh fruit and vegetable industries rely on numerous pre- and postharvest practices to ensure minimization of losses. Several key developments in production and storage technologies make this project highly relevant for the fruit and vegetable industries in North America.

美国种植者生产大量新鲜水果和蔬菜，但质量下降、贮藏混乱、腐烂和霉菌毒素污染继续造成相当大的损失。因此，新鲜水果和蔬菜行业依赖于大量的采前和采后实践来确保损失最小化。生产和贮藏技术的几个关键发展使该项目与北美的水果和蔬菜行业高度相关。

Postharvest losses for fresh produce are severe and vary widely, depending upon the crop and handling conditions employed. Gustavsson et al. (2011) noted that global food losses are about 1.3 billion tons annually.  The FAO Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 aims, “by 2030, to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including postharvest losses” (Fabi and English, 2019). Considering factors of climate change, a growing population reaching Malthusian limits, and less agricultural land being used to produce more food, new technologies, crops and decay management strategies are needed to increase food security and help slow food loss and waste.

新鲜农产品的收获后损失严重，差异很大，取决于所采用的作物和处理条件。Gustavsson等人（2011）指出，全球粮食损失每年约为13亿吨。粮农组织可持续发展目标12.3旨在“到2030年，将全球零售和消费者层面的人均粮食浪费减半，减少生产和供应链上的粮食损失，包括收获后的损失”（Fabi和English，2019）。考虑到气候变化、人口增长达到马尔萨斯极限以及用于生产更多粮食的农业用地减少等因素，需要新技术、作物和腐烂管理策略来提高粮食安全，帮助减缓粮食损失和浪费。

Apples are a prime example of a commodity that is subject to significant losses during storage and transport. However, pre and postharvest rots caused by Colletotrichum (bitter rot) are significant problems for apple, citrus, blueberry and vegetables like tomato (Barad et al., 2017; Jurick II and Cox 2016; Liu et al., 2020). Postharvest rots of fresh fruits and vegetables not only reduce quality, but also limit their availability for consumption, and sometimes processed products can contain mycotoxins that harm human health. While postharvest fungicides are approved for use to control these pathogens on a limited number of these crops, concerns over maximum residue limits, antimicrobial resistance, and environmental impacts necessitate development of new tools and strategies to abate decay. New disorders in apple (skin wrinkling and leather blotch) appear to be more prevalent, as well as continued occurrence of others such as bitter pit and soft scald. The ability to identify conditions that lead to disorder development is dependent on a collaborative effort. 

苹果是一种在贮藏和运输过程中遭受重大损失的商品的典型例子。然而，由炭疽菌引起的采前和采后腐烂（苦腐病）对苹果、柑橘、蓝莓和番茄等蔬菜来说是一个严重的问题（Barad等人，2017；Jurick II和Cox 2016；Liu等人，2020）。新鲜水果和蔬菜的采后腐烂不仅会降低质量，还会限制其可供食用的程度，有时加工产品可能含有危害人类健康的霉菌毒素。虽然采后杀菌剂被批准用于控制这些作物中数量有限的病原体，但对最大残留限量、抗菌药物耐药性和环境影响的担忧需要开发新的工具和策略来减少腐烂。苹果的新疾病（表皮皱纹和皮革斑点）似乎更为普遍，其他疾病如苦坑和软烫伤也在继续发生。识别导致疾病发展的条件的能力取决于协作努力。

More frequent and deleterious environmental stresses, particularly high heat, have impacted produce quality and caused losses in the storage and supply chain.  It is anticipated that this will increase losses due to poor quality and higher incidence of storage disorders. Preharvest growing conditions such as high temperature have increasingly become more stressful for plants, and this can have a deleterious effect on the postharvest outcome.  High temperatures during maturation can delay apple coloration and force growers to delay harvest, but with limitations for storage life. Grower use of reflective ground covers to address poor color can impact fruit maturity and postharvest conditions.  Unknown growing conditions are involved in the development of storage disorders, such as apple bitter pit.  Therefore, a coordinated effort is needed to identify the conditions that lead to greater incidence and our predictive capacity.

更频繁和有害的环境压力，特别是高温，影响了农产品质量，并造成了贮藏和供应链的损失。预计这将增加由于质量差和贮藏障碍发生率较高而造成的损失。高温等采前生长条件对植物的压力越来越大，这可能会对采后结果产生有害影响。成熟过程中的高温会延迟苹果的着色，迫使种植者推迟采收，但贮藏寿命有限。种植者使用反光地面覆盖物来解决颜色不佳的问题会影响水果的成熟度和采后条件。未知的生长条件参与了贮藏障碍的发展，如苹果苦核。因此，需要协调努力，确定导致更高发病率和我们预测能力的条件。

Fresh produce items are sold in a wide range of locations from local farmers’ markets and roadside stands to local and regional markets to school lunch programs and to export destinations. These locations place varying demands on the techniques and technologies necessary to extend postharvest quality while reducing losses during this value chain. The fresh produce industry also provides reliable and constant employment to significant numbers of U.S. and foreign workers.

新鲜农产品在广泛的地点销售，从当地农贸市场和路边摊到当地和区域市场，再到学校午餐计划和出口目的地。这些地点对延长采后质量同时减少价值链损失所需的技术和工艺提出了不同的要求。新鲜农产品行业还为大量美国和外国工人提供了可靠和持续的就业机会。

Increased consumer expectations that fruits and vegetables are available year-round and often out of season have created changes in which cultivars are grown and have expanded the regions where fruits are produced. This has been coupled with the development of new cultivars with specific adaptations to regional climates outside traditional production regions. Blueberries, strawberries, cherries and peaches are examples of this phenomenon. New types of these traditional fruits such as crisp-fleshed blueberries and firm-fleshed peaches have expanded the potential for marketing highly perishable fruits. Where once only round and cherry tomatoes were available in supermarkets, nowadays typical produce sections sell a variety of tomato types including on-the-vine (aka cluster), grape, varietal, heirloom, Roma, and hydroponic-grown, by both conventional and by organic methods. A similar phenomenon has occurred with other types of vegetables such as Ripe bell peppers and cucumbers. Consumer interest in new types of fruits such as muscadine grapes and elderberries has increased but with relatively unknown postharvest needs. New cultivars of virtually every type of produce are continually being adopted that may have unknown issues.

消费者对水果和蔬菜全年供应的期望越来越高，而且往往是在反季节供应，这改变了种植品种的方式，扩大了水果生产的地区。这与开发新品种相结合，这些新品种对传统生产区以外的区域气候具有特定的适应性。蓝莓、草莓、樱桃和桃子就是这种现象的例子。这些传统水果的新类型，如脆皮蓝莓和硬肉桃子，扩大了销售易腐水果的潜力。超市里曾经只有圆形和樱桃番茄，现在典型的农产品区出售各种番茄，包括葡萄藤（又名集群）、葡萄、品种、传家宝、罗马和水培番茄，既有传统方法，也有有机方法。其他类型的蔬菜，如成熟的甜椒和黄瓜，也出现了类似的现象。消费者对麝香葡萄和接骨木果等新型水果的兴趣有所增加，但收获后的需求相对未知。几乎每种类型的农产品的新品种都在不断被采用，这些品种可能存在未知的问题。

New cultivars typically have unknown postharvest needs that make their handling challenging. Small-scale operations oftentimes are at the forefront of testing and marketing new cultivars. However, the postharvest practices differ between large-scale operations with extended storage durations and small-scale operations with rapid marketing and brief periods of storage. Consequently, new cultivars initially tested for small-scale production may be unsuitable for large-scale production with concomitant stringent postharvest expectations of quality. Honeycrisp is a good example of an apple cultivar grown to satisfy demand, but with many storage issues. 

新品种通常具有未知的采后需求，这使得它们的处理具有挑战性。小规模经营往往处于测试和营销新品种的最前沿。然而，在具有较长贮藏期的大规模经营和具有快速营销和短暂储存期的小规模经营之间，采后做法有所不同。因此，最初用于小规模生产的新品种可能不适合大规模生产，同时对收获后的质量有严格的要求。Honeycrip是一个很好的例子，它是一种为满足需求而种植的苹果品种，但存在许多贮藏问题。

Techniques for season extension, most notably high tunnels, have also contributed to expanded production of fruits and vegetables for small-scale local markets, but with unknown impact on quality. In addition, production in protected culture such as high tunnels and greenhouses is increasing in the U.S. with simultaneous changes in cultivars and postharvest needs.  Therefore, it is essential that our growers, packers and shippers be provided with the latest postharvest information to thrive in this highly competitive arena.  Limited research on the postharvest needs has necessitated the need for multistate research to gain an understanding of how these new cultivars and growing environments contribute to preservation of quality and prevention of decay at the physiological, molecular, genomic and genetic levels.

季节延长技术，尤其是高隧道技术，也有助于扩大当地小规模市场的水果和蔬菜生产，但对质量的影响尚不清楚。此外，在美国，高隧道和温室等受保护文化的产量正在增加，同时品种和采后需求也在发生变化。因此，我们的种植者、包装商和托运人必须获得最新的采后信息，才能在这个竞争激烈的领域蓬勃发展。对采后需求的有限研究使得有必要进行多州研究，以了解这些新品种和生长环境如何在生理、分子、基因组和遗传水平上有助于保持质量和防止腐烂。

Severe limitations in the availability of labor have forced the fruit and vegetable industry to investigate greater use of mechanical harvesting and to adopt cultivars that are better adapted to mechanization. Many fruits and vegetables ripen at uneven rates. Thus, to maintain quality during marketing, fruit and vegetables are spot-picked to ensure harvest at the optimum stage of maturity. However, mechanical harvesting often necessitates a once-over harvest that requires the crop to be at a uniform stage of maturity to maximize yield and overall quality.  Crops that can be mechanically harvested for the fresh market include blueberries, cranberries, leafy crops and root crops, and for processing markets include grapes, prunes, oranges, peaches, cherries, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes and olives. Research is needed to determine the impact of mechanical harvesting on consumer acceptability and shelf-life.

劳动力供应的严重限制迫使水果和蔬菜行业研究更多地使用机械收割，并采用更适合机械化的品种。许多水果和蔬菜的成熟速度并不均匀。因此，为了在营销过程中保持质量，水果和蔬菜被现场采摘，以确保在最佳成熟阶段收获。然而，机械收割通常需要一次收割，这要求作物处于统一的成熟阶段，以最大限度地提高产量和整体质量。可机械收割的新鲜市场作物包括蓝莓、蔓越莓、叶菜作物和根茎作物，加工市场作物包括葡萄、西梅、橙子、桃子、樱桃、墨西哥胡椒、西红柿和橄榄。需要研究来确定机械收割对消费者可接受性和保质期的影响。

Continued demand for reduced reliance on chemicals and for organic fruit is accompanied by a requirement for compatible storage technologies. Improvements in the use of nonchemical approaches for preventing storage scald of apples called dynamic controlled atmosphere (DCA) storage comes with risks and additional need for how to apply this method to new cultivars.  Highly sophisticated and sometimes risky postharvest storage technologies can be used in place of synthetic chemical controls, but uncertainties of their efficacies for the many different cultivars remain. Consumer demand for reduced Minimum Residue Levels is a significant driving factor to develop novel tools to maintain quality, reduce losses and mitigate toxins. Postharvest chemical applications remain an important method of preventing decay, but new nonchemical approaches have been developed to meet the needs of organic markets, and to minimize losses of fruit during storage and transport. New approaches to preventing losses come with potential risks whereas, generally recognized as safe (GRAS) chemical alternatives that prevent decay are largely untested. Testing of reduced-risk materials such as essential oils has shown effectiveness for controlling decay in some fruits, but large-scale application and impact on eating quality are untested. A better understanding of relationships between postharvest physiology of fruits and their susceptibility to physiological disorders and decay pathogens is essential for developing improved control measures and reducing chemical use.

对减少对化学品和有机水果的依赖的持续需求伴随着对兼容贮藏技术的需求。使用非化学方法防止苹果储存烫伤的改进称为动态控制气调（DCA）贮藏，这带来了风险，也需要将这种方法应用于新品种。高度复杂且有时有风险的采后贮藏技术可以用来代替合成化学控制，但它们对许多不同品种的有效性仍存在不确定性。消费者对降低最低残留水平的需求是开发新工具以保持质量、减少损失和减轻毒素的重要驱动因素。收获后的化学应用仍然是防止腐烂的重要方法，但已经开发出新的非化学方法来满足有机市场的需求，并最大限度地减少水果在贮藏和运输过程中的损失。防止损失的新方法具有潜在风险，而通常被认为是安全的（GRAS）化学替代品，可以防止衰变，但基本上没有经过测试。对精油等低风险材料的测试表明，它们对控制一些水果的腐烂有效，但大规模应用和对食用质量的影响尚未经过测试。更好地了解水果采后生理与其对生理疾病和腐烂病原体的易感性之间的关系，对于制定改进的控制措施和减少化学物质的使用至关重要。

New postharvest technologies that extend postharvest storage and shelf life need additional testing to confirm efficacy and identify risks for the different cultivars and types of produce.  Elevated CO2 storage for raspberry can extend shelf-life, but research is needed to pinpoint optimum levels for the many cultivars and regions where raspberries are grown. Physiological disorders can be affected positively or negatively by these new storage technologies. For example, superficial scald of apples is inhibited by 1-MCP, DPA, and DCA storage, while other disorders, especially carbon dioxide-related ones tend to be increased by 1-MCP. The adoption of the plant growth regulator 1- MCP has altered the risks of long-term storage. These practices have increased greatly, largely in response to the need to maintain quality during storage and marketing. New application methods for in-carton application of 1-MCP such as sachets and incorporation into films have the potential to improve storage of other types of produce, but with many unanswered questions regarding efficacy.  

延长采后贮藏和保质期的新采后技术需要额外的测试，以确认不同品种和类型农产品的功效并确定风险。提高树莓的二氧化碳储存量可以延长保质期，但需要研究确定许多树莓品种和种植地区的最佳水平。这些新的贮藏技术可以对生理疾病产生积极或消极的影响。例如，1-MCP、DPA和DCA的贮藏可以抑制苹果的表面烫伤，而1-MCP往往会增加其他疾病，尤其是与二氧化碳相关的疾病。植物生长调节剂1-MCP的采用改变了长期贮藏的风险。这些做法大大增加，主要是为了在贮藏和营销过程中保持质量。1-MCP纸箱内应用的新应用方法，如小袋和掺入薄膜，有可能改善其他类型农产品的贮藏，但在功效方面仍有许多悬而未决的问题。

Growers increasingly rely on predictive tools and rapid tests to determine storage potential and relative susceptibility to postharvest losses.  Low-cost, rapid tests that measure postharvest characteristics and predict storage life or potential losses will allow growers to segregate high-risk produce and make informed decisions regarding storage duration. Peel analysis and the “passive” tests for predicting bitter pit in apples are examples of industry use of tests that were developed through collaborative research. Additional research is needed to understand how regional variation will impact application of these predictive tools.  Recent advances in understanding how loss of xylem function leads to bitter pit can be combined with these predictive tests to improve grower ability to prevent severe cases of this disorder.  Water loss, an important cause for quality loss in several fruits and vegetables can be measured using a low cost, nondestructive sealed chamber.  Wide scale testing is needed for its commercial application. Other predictive or rapid tests currently in development include rancidity in walnuts, surface moisture measurement on leafy vegetables for preventing decay and measuring aroma volatiles to predict chilling injury in peaches.  Knowing the status of produce going into storage is critical and can extend shelf life by a few days for highly perishable fruits and vegetables such as asparagus.  Storage and marketing practices such as “first in first out” logistics lead to losses because they do not consider the physiological maturity or any adverse preharvest and harvest conditions (high temperatures, poor cooling to remove field heat) that compromise shelf-life in different batches of harvested fruit and vegetables.  

种植者越来越依赖预测工具和快速测试来确定贮藏潜力和对采后损失的相对敏感性。低成本、快速的测试可以测量采后特征并预测贮藏寿命或潜在损失，这将使种植者能够隔离高风险农产品，并就贮藏时间做出明智的决定。果皮分析和用于预测苹果苦味的“被动”测试是通过合作研究开发的测试在工业中使用的例子。需要进一步的研究来了解区域差异将如何影响这些预测工具的应用。了解木质部功能丧失如何导致苦核的最新进展可以与这些预测测试相结合，以提高种植者预防这种疾病严重病例的能力。水分损失是几种水果和蔬菜质量损失的重要原因，可以使用低成本、无损的密封室进行测量。其商业应用需要大规模测试。目前正在开发的其他预测性或快速测试包括核桃的酸败、叶菜的表面水分测量以防止腐烂，以及测量香气挥发物以预测桃子的冷害。了解进入贮藏的农产品的状态至关重要，可以将芦笋等易腐水果和蔬菜的保质期延长几天。“先进先出”物流等贮藏和营销实践会导致损失，因为它们没有考虑到生理成熟度或任何不利的收获前和收获条件（高温、冷却不良以去除田间热量），这些条件会影响不同批次收获的水果和蔬菜的保质期。

Members of the NE1836 have collaborated to address the multiple disorders of apple cultivars that create complex storage requirements with the added need for predictive tools. In addition, recent advances in understanding the causes of disorders, mycotoxin abatement, and prevention will require multi-year testing and refinement in the many regions where they are now grown, and a coordinated effort to speed up real-world application of these new tools.

NE1836的成员合作解决了苹果品种的多种疾病，这些疾病产生了复杂的贮藏要求，并增加了对预测工具的需求。此外，在了解疾病原因、减少霉菌毒素和预防方面的最新进展将需要在目前种植霉菌毒素的许多地区进行多年的测试和改进，并协调努力加快这些新工具的实际应用。

Expanding our knowledge on the harvest and storage of these specialty crops is critical to ongoing success in maintaining product quality of the fresh fruit and vegetable industries.  Sharing of knowledge, especially about application of new technologies, increases the probability of successful outcomes. The project involves postharvest scientists in the different geographical regions of the US and Canada, nearly all with extension/outreach responsibilities, thereby providing a powerful platform for development and extension of this knowledge.

扩大我们对这些特种作物的收获和贮藏的了解，对于保持新鲜水果和蔬菜行业的产品质量至关重要。知识共享，特别是关于新技术应用的知识共享，增加了成功结果的可能性。该项目涉及美国和加拿大不同地理区域的采后科学家，他们几乎都承担着推广/外联责任，从而为开发和推广这一知识提供了一个强大的平台。

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1.3 Development of dynamic controlled atmosphere (DCA) storage for apple (MI, NY, ONT, WA)

Pre-and postharvest practices to optimize organic apple quality during and after long-term storage (MI, ONT, NY, WA). We will focus on ‘Gala’ as well as the new cultivars listed in section 1.2. Our goals are, using the same cultivars in different locations wherever possible, to define the effects of fruit maturity, storage temperatures, the pulldown time of O2, levels of kPa O2, and the effects of kPa CO2. The lower O2 limit for each variety will be determined in each year to account for year-to-year variation. As above, multiple indicators of product stress will be included to address cultivar high CO2 stress limits.

在长期贮藏期间和之后优化有机苹果质量的采前和采后实践（密歇根州、安大略省、纽约州、华盛顿州）。我们将重点关注“Gala”以及第1.2节中列出的新品种。我们的目标是，尽可能在不同地点使用相同的品种，以确定果实成熟度、贮藏温度、氧气下拉时间、kPa氧气水平和kPa二氧化碳的影响。每年将确定每种品种的氧气下限，以考虑逐年变化。如上所述，将包括多种产品压力指标，以解决品种高二氧化碳压力限制问题。

We will compare postharvest systems and protocols to optimize quality of apples organically grown in warm and cool production sites in WA state to incorporate climatic variability as an influencing factor (WA). Honeycrisp and Gala apples will be stored in RA, CA and DCA using respiratory quotient based on initial O2 level at 1°C or 3 °C depending on the cultivar. Dynamic control atmosphere (DCA) system will be managed using respiratory quotient (LabPods, Storage Control System, MI, USA). Fruit quality and physiological disorders will be evaluated after 3, 6, and 9 months of storage. The impact of DCA in combination with 1-MCP on aroma recovery will be documented for Honeycrisp, Gala, Evercrisp, Jonagold, Red Delicious, Fuji, and Golden Delicious (MI).  The lower oxygen limit for each variety will be determined.

我们将比较采后系统和协议，以优化西澳州温暖和凉爽生产地点有机种植的苹果的质量，并将气候变化作为影响因素（西澳州）。Honeycrisp苹果和Gala苹果将根据1°C或3°C下的初始氧气水平，使用呼吸商储存在RA、CA和DCA中，具体取决于品种。动态控制气调（DCA）系统将使用呼吸商进行管理（LabPods, Storage Control System, MI, USA）。贮藏3个月、6个月和9个月后，将对果实质量和生理紊乱进行评估。DCA与1-甲基环丙烯结合对Honeycrisp、Gala、Evercrips、Jonagold、Red Delicious、Fuji和Golden Delicious（MI）香气恢复的影响将被记录在案。将确定每种品种的氧气下限。

来源：NE2336: Improving Quality and Reducing Losses in Specialty Fruit and Vegetable Crops through Storage Technologies – NIMSS

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