{"id":9190,"date":"2018-01-17T11:48:38","date_gmt":"2018-01-17T16:48:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/horticultural-science-new\/?page_id=9190"},"modified":"2022-04-06T10:58:18","modified_gmt":"2022-04-06T14:58:18","slug":"plant-postharvest-physiology","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/horticultural-science\/research\/areas\/plant-postharvest-physiology\/","title":{"rendered":"Plant and Postharvest Physiology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Postharvest physiology is about the plant response to technologies and other applications that extend shelf life and quality and delay senescence (plant death).  Quality itself includes aspects that are appealing to consumers, such as appearance, aroma, taste, color (sensory), reduced risk of foodborne pathogens or pesticide residues (food safety), or more dense nutrient or phytonutrient content.  Growers and shippers realized that keeping produce or flowers cold greatly extended the sales life and this stimulated much interest in exploring the causes of plant senescence at physiological, cellular, and molecular levels.  As consumers continue to increase their daily intake of fruits and vegetables, pressure to deliver high-quality products with a longer shelf life is critical.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Fruits<\/h3>\n \n\n \t \t

North Carolina is a lead producer of both tree and small fruits. Active tree fruit research programs focus on peaches, pecans and apples. Cane fruit, strawberries and grapes are also emphasized as research priorities<\/p>\n\t \t \n

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Vegetables<\/h3>\n \n\n \t \t

Vegetable research focuses on both the production and post-harvest aspects. North Carolina is strategically located half way up the Eastern coast of the U.S., which strategically places growers in an important niche of supplying fresh produce.<\/p>\n\t \t \n

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Cut Flowers and Postharvest Floriculture<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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North Carolina is consistently among the top five U.S. states in production of floriculture crops, with NC\u2019s production across all crops being $234 million in 2015 based on wholesale value of all floriculture plants. A vibrant specialty cut flower industry is a significant part of that production. Research conducted by the Cut Flower and Postharvest Floriculture Program at NC State supports this production by focusing on applied research aimed at meeting industry-related production needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n