U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home News & Events News Articles Research News 2016





- ARS News & Events
- AgResearch Magazine
- Image Gallery
- News
- Search News & Events
- Insect Meal: A Grand Challenge
- The Chicken, the Egg, and Salmonella
- Cooking with Science: Strawberries
- ARS Featured Photos
- Down on the Farm
- Facebook Live Events
- Food and Nutrition Research Briefs
- News Archive
- Science in Your Shopping Cart
- Scientific Discoveries
- Social Media
- Under the Microscope
- AgResearch magazine
- ARS at Work
- ARS Memorial Lectures
- ARS Science Hall of Fame
- Citrus Disease (Huanglongbing)
- Contact Office of Communications
- Plant Hardiness Zone Map
- Mobile Apps
- Public Affairs Contacts
- Publications and Other Resources
- USDA Blog
- Videos

Read the magazine story to find out more.ARS scientists developed imaging technologies to detect decay in bagged cut lettuce. Click the image for more information about it.For further reading16 New Lettuce Breeding Lines from ARS*E. coli* Gets a Boost from Lettuce DiseaseNew Hope for Extending Fresh-cut Vegetable Storage Detecting Decay Inside Bagged Lettuce with 'Electronic Eye' By Sharon Durham April 29, 2016 Fresh-cut lettuce sold in bags is a desirable yet highly perishable product because tissue decay can start a few days after processing and is difficult to detect through the bag with the naked eye. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) plant geneticist Ivan Simko, with the Crop Improvement and Protection Research Laboratory in Salinas, California—in collaboration with researchers from Australia—designed a system for the early detection and evaluation of decay. The researchers developed two lettuce-decay indices to help select breeding lines yielding longer-lasting cut lettuce. The indices also allow researchers to identify lettuce damage caused by freezing temperatures. One index is based on evaluations performed with hyperspectral imaging, and the other with chlorophyll fluorescence imaging. A hyperspectral sensor identifies decay by measuring light waves that bounce off plant tissues. Unlike the human eye, which sees only visible light, hyperspectral imaging detects a much broader electromagnetic spectrum-including the ultraviolet, near-infrared, and infrared regions. Chlorophyll fluorescence imaging measures biological activity in leaf tissue and uses light re-emitted by chlorophyll to find decay. The cameras used in these two technologies mimic human sight while avoiding subjective errors, according to Simko. In turn, the researchers can test breeding lines for longer shelf life and breed that trait into current lettuce cultivars grown for processing as bagged produce. This research appeared in *Postharvest Biology and Technology* in April 2015. Read more about this research in the April 2016 issue of *AgResearch*. ARS is the USDA's chief intramural scientific research agency.


Return to top


Research
                            Media
                            About ARS
                            Work With Us


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov