Citrus postharvest program (CT19003)

The Citrus Postharvest Program has been continuing laboratory-based R&D coupled with extension activities. The Program has been working on the development and assessment of alternative decay control technologies and new ways to maintain fruit quality with extended shipping.

Current extension outputs have been focused on the Citrus Australia Market Outlook Forum and extension articles in Australian Citrus News. Specifically, these include the program development and facilitation of the Postharvest Session at the Outlook Forum and delivery of presentations from this Program.

The development of the ‘Best Practice Postharvest Manual’ is continuing.

Laboratory based research examining new ways to control postharvest decay and the maintenance of fruit quality during storage is continuing.  For example, a recent trial examined different irrigation strategies on the quality of Afourer fruit following long term storage at 3˚C. Three irrigation scheduling strategies were compared: (1) control (regular irrigation), (2) reduced irrigation (70% of normal irrigation scheduling) and (3) increased irrigation (120% of normal irrigation scheduling. The result shows that reduced irrigation treatment can not only reduce water use in the orchard, but can result in superior eating quality fruit without any detriment to other quality attributes during long term storage.

Other trials with pre-and postharvest harvest treatments to improve out-turns are continuing.

The Citrus Postharvest Program has been continuing laboratory-based R&D, alongside extension activities. The program has been working on the development and assessment of alternative decay control technologies and new ways to maintain fruit quality with extended shipping.

Current extension outputs include:

• Citrus Australia Technical Forum and extension articles in Australian Citrus News. Specifically, these include the program development and facilitation of the postharvest sessions, presentations, and posters at the Citrus Australia Technical Forum on the Sunshine Coast and presentations.
• The development of the ‘Best Practice Postharvest Manual’ is continuing.
• Laboratory based research examining the impacts of pre-harvest management strategies (irrigation and plant growth regulator) on the long-term storage of mandarin quality and shelf life are continuing.

The program has been continuing with its laboratory-based research, with limited packinghouse visits and trials. The project team have been working on the potential of removing dimethoate residues from postharvest packing lines, the assessment of postharvest fungicides, the development and assessment of alternatives to fungicides against postharvest decay and new ways to improve quality during extended export shipping.

Current extension outputs include an industry article in the Australian Citrus News (available via the Citrus Australia website here) discussing the need to review postharvest fungicides and giving options for new chemistries.

Where travel was allowed, there has been extension of the program outcomes with in-person presentation to growers and packers in Griffith with a virtual presentation on best practice degreening at the Citrus Australia Southern Queensland Regional Forum in Gayndah.

The development of the ‘Best Practice Postharvest Manual’ is still progressing.

Since the last update, the Citrus Postharvest Program continued laboratory-based R&D, with limited packinghouse visits or trials. Work progressed on the development and assessment of alternative decay control technologies and chilling injury surveys.

• Laboratory works investigated the potential of removing dimethoate residues from postharvest packinglines, the assessment of postharvest fungicides, and the development and assessment of fungicide alternatives against postharvest decay.
• Extension outputs included industry articles in Australian Citrus News outlining the evaluation of a new electrolysed water sanitiser system, which was researched in previous Hort Innovation project Australian Citrus Postharvest Science Program (CT15010) and recent research on safe food additives for the control of postharvest decay.
• With some travel possible, Program outcomes were presented to growers and packers in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Development of the Best Practice Postharvest Manual

ACT NOW

Read these Program articles published in Australian Citrus News and on the Citrus Australia website:

• Postharvest evaluation of a new electrolysed water sanitiser system, 30 April 2021
• Safe food additives for the control of postharvest decay, Autumn 2021, pp36-37

Project planning has begun with groundwork being laid to deliver new information and innovative technologies to improve the quality of Australian citrus through both domestic and export supply chains.

Current extension outputs include four industry articles which outline the objectives and goals of this project.

ACT NOW

• Read Postharvest degreening – A refresher on p 40-41 in Australian Citrus News, Autumn 2020 edition. 
• In the same edition, read One chapter closes, another opens in citrus postharvest research on p 38-39.
• See Postharvest degreening – A refresher, published on the industry Citrus e-news site.
• See One chapter closes, another opens in citrus postharvest research, published on the industry Citrus e-news site.