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 Commodity Protection and Quality Research: Parlier, CA
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ARS Home Pacific West Area Parlier, California San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center Commodity Protection and Quality Research Research





- Walse, Spencer
- Crop Protection & Quarantine (304)

Research Project: **Location:
                            Commodity Protection and Quality Research** Project Number: 2034-43000-043-040-R
                        
                        Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement Start Date: Oct 1, 2021
                        
                        End Date: Jun 30, 2024 **Objective:**
                        
                        Conduct postharvest research to demonstrate the efficacy of postharvest treatments toward key insect pests of California pomegranates exported to Australia and New Zealand. **Approach:**
                        
                        Utilize a cooperative effort between USDA-ARS, USDA-APHIS, California industry, and foreign counterparts to address pest-related barriers to export. Particular attention will be paid to the expansion and retention of export markets. Pests will be targeted with postharvest techniques including, fumigation and low-oxygen treatments. Exploratory studies will be used to identify the efficacious parameters for methyl bromide, phosphine, ethyl formate, and low-oxygen treatments. Research will follow with pilot- and commercial- scale confirmatory testing concomitant with quality and microbiological evaluations. Treatment parameters will be tailored to infrastructural and logistical requirements of industry and contemporary methods of production, storage, and distribution.  2021-22 research involves optimization of methyl bromide treatments.


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