Finding New Ways To Keep Vegetables Fresher For Longer
In newly published research, University of Florida scientist Tie Liu and his colleagues provide a fresh take on how to keep vegetables fresher for longer after harvest. The research team studied the physiological and molecular mechanisms of two treatments: 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and controlled atmosphere (CA) storage. They found these treatments delay the aging process in broccoli in different ways.
“Studying the molecular mechanisms of these treatments offers valuable insights into how we can improve vegetable preservation techniques, enhance food safety and promote sustainability in the food industry,” says Liu, corresponding author of the study. “Those technologies are like superpowers for keeping vegetables and fruits fresh.”
Controlled atmosphere and 1-MCP both slow broccoli deterioration beyond what can be accomplished by low temperatures. While CA slows broccoli metabolism, 1-MCP makes it insensitive to ethylene, the plant hormone that controls stress responses and ripening.
“By controlling things like temperature, humidity and the levels of gases like oxygen, carbon dioxide and ethylene, we can slow down the natural processes that cause food to spoil,” Liu adds. “It’s like giving them vegetables a safe home, where they can stay fresh.”
The new UF/IFAS research, which builds off a related study published last year, will help scientists around the world preserve broccoli and other vegetables. It will also help plant breeders find the right genetics for fresher produce.
“The better we understand the genes that are turned on and off within the context of postharvest quality deterioration and loss of shelf life, the better we can target genes to either be turned on or off by gene-editing techniques,” Liu says.
For more, continue reading at blogs.ifas.ufl.edu.
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