Steven A. Sargent
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View article: Postharvest Quality and Shelf Life of Three Thornless Blackberry Cultivars over Two Seasons
Postharvest Quality and Shelf Life of Three Thornless Blackberry Cultivars over Two Seasons Open
Postharvest deterioration remains a major challenge for blackberries, particularly in warm climates where shelf life is limited. This study evaluated the postharvest performance of three thornless cultivars grown under subtropical conditio…
View article: Harvest and Handling of Calabaza (Tropical Pumpkin)
Harvest and Handling of Calabaza (Tropical Pumpkin) Open
This publication highlights best harvest, handling, and storage practices to serve growers interested in producing calabaza based on a review of preexisting and pertinent literature. This guidance also draws upon published information on c…
View article: Postharvest Physiology and Physiological Disorders of Persimmon Fruit
Postharvest Physiology and Physiological Disorders of Persimmon Fruit Open
Persimmons are classified under the genus Diospyros within the family Ebenaceae. This genus includes different species such as the most popular, D. kaki (Japanese persimmon); D. virginiana (common persimmon); and D. lotus (date-plum, also …
View article: Key Quality Component and Bioactive Compound Analysis of Novel Calabaza Germplasm Lines
Key Quality Component and Bioactive Compound Analysis of Novel Calabaza Germplasm Lines Open
Calabaza (Cucurbita moschata Duch.) is a nutritious specialty crop reported to possess health-promoting bioactive compounds, specifically β-carotene, ascorbic acid, and phenolics. Novel calabaza germplasm lines are currently being develope…
View article: Bamboo Production Practices in Florida: Water and Fertilization Requirements
Bamboo Production Practices in Florida: Water and Fertilization Requirements Open
Bamboo production is estimated at around 1,300 acres in Florida, growing by 50% annually. Currently, growers are using trial and error methods to estimate production requirements related to water and fertilization and which varieties to gr…
View article: A greener approach to assess bioactive compounds in tropical pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) using colorimetry
A greener approach to assess bioactive compounds in tropical pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) using colorimetry Open
Bioactive compounds have been shown to promote healthy human development and protect against certain diseases including some cancers. Tropical pumpkins bred for consumption, such as calabaza ( Cucurbita moschata ), possess these compounds,…
View article: Escarole and Endive: Nutritious Leafy Vegetables with High Potential for Floridians
Escarole and Endive: Nutritious Leafy Vegetables with High Potential for Floridians Open
Escaroles and endives are two leafy vegetables of the Compositae family rich in nutrients and minerals. Both crops are uncommon in the United States, but both are planted in wintertime in Florida and in other states such as California and …
View article: Principles and Significance of Nitrogen Management for Blackberry Production
Principles and Significance of Nitrogen Management for Blackberry Production Open
Blackberry cultivation presents significant opportunities for fruit growers in subtropical regions, where nitrogen (N) is identified as a crucial macronutrient for optimal production. Given the variability in climate and soil conditions, d…
View article: Screening Subtropical Lettuce Accessions for Heat Tolerance by Incorporating Accelerated Shelf Life Testing
Screening Subtropical Lettuce Accessions for Heat Tolerance by Incorporating Accelerated Shelf Life Testing Open
Lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.) is grown worldwide, from temperate to subtropical climates. Spring season production in humid, subtropical regions, such as southern Florida, is characterized by rising ambient temperatures that can stress lett…
View article: Modeling the relationship between postharvest storage conditions and grapefruit quality
Modeling the relationship between postharvest storage conditions and grapefruit quality Open
The postharvest loss in quality of grapefruit during storage can be quantified by determining the change of the quality traits of grapefruit, including total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), TSS/TA, weight loss (WL), and the …
View article: Dried Persimmon Fruit: A Year-round Available Product
Dried Persimmon Fruit: A Year-round Available Product Open
Persimmons (Diospyros kaki) are known for their sweet and flavorful taste. They are native to Asia, specifically China, and were first grown in Florida in the 1870s. Persimmons are still not as popular in the United States as other fruits,…
View article: Dehydrated and Freeze-dried Peach Fruit: A Prolonged Shelf-life Product through Modern Drying Techniques
Dehydrated and Freeze-dried Peach Fruit: A Prolonged Shelf-life Product through Modern Drying Techniques Open
Peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) is a valuable temperate fruit from the Rosaceae family, which also includes many other commercially important fruits such as apples and pears, apricots, cherries and plums, and blackberries, raspberries and…
View article: Examining preharvest genetic and morphological factors contributing to lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) shelf-life
Examining preharvest genetic and morphological factors contributing to lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) shelf-life Open
Lettuce is a highly perishable horticultural crop with a relatively short shelf-life that limits its commercial value and contributes to food waste. Postharvest senescence varies with influences of both environmental and genetic factors. F…
View article: Modeling of Grapefruit External Color as Affected by Drought Stress
Modeling of Grapefruit External Color as Affected by Drought Stress Open
Grapefruit are well-adapted to arid and warm climatic conditions, but well-irrigated trees usually produce better-quality fruits. Because water is a major component of the fruits, there is a strong relationship between drought stress and f…
View article: Ginger, Galangal, and Turmeric Production in Florida
Ginger, Galangal, and Turmeric Production in Florida Open
Ginger, galangal, and turmeric (Figure 1) are emerging crops for Florida production. All of these plants are in the Zingiberaceae family and share most aspects of their production. This bulletin describes production in containers or the fi…
View article: Freeze-Dried Muscadine grape: a New Product for Health-Conscious Consumers and the Food Industry
Freeze-Dried Muscadine grape: a New Product for Health-Conscious Consumers and the Food Industry Open
Muscadine grape (Muscadinia rotundifolia [Michx.]) is a fruit crop native to America; it adapts well to a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses and have thus been grown and vinified throughout the southeastern US for centuries. Current…
View article: Lettuce Germplasm in Humid Subtropical Environments Tolerant to Postharvest Development of Pink Rib Disorder
Lettuce Germplasm in Humid Subtropical Environments Tolerant to Postharvest Development of Pink Rib Disorder Open
Pink rib discoloration or pinking in the midribs of lettuce ( Lactuca sativa ) leaves is a stress-induced disorder that leads to crop loss worldwide. Maintaining recommended field and postharvest conditions reduces its incidence but does n…
View article: Harvesting & Postharvest Handling of Stonefruit in Florida
Harvesting & Postharvest Handling of Stonefruit in Florida Open
Stonefruit grown commercially in Florida include peaches, nectarines, and plums. This publication is directed to current and potential stonefruit growers, handlers, and marketers, as well as researchers, extension agents, students, and con…
View article: Handling Florida Broccoli: From Harvest to Shipping Operations
Handling Florida Broccoli: From Harvest to Shipping Operations Open
The purpose of this new 11-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department is to present options for commercial operations handling fresh broccoli in Florida and is written for growers/packers/shippers, Extension faculty,…
View article: Delaying ripening using 1-MCP reveals chilling injury symptom development at the putative chilling threshold temperature for mature green banana
Delaying ripening using 1-MCP reveals chilling injury symptom development at the putative chilling threshold temperature for mature green banana Open
Storage at the putative chilling threshold temperature (CTT) to avoid chilling injury still limits postharvest handling of tropical fruit like banana in that ripening may occur at the CTT. To determine whether chilling injury (CI) symptoms…
View article: Comparison of Three Cooling Methods (Hydrocooling, Forced-Air Cooling and Slush Icing) and Plastic Overwrap on Broccoli Quality during Simulated Commercial Handling
Comparison of Three Cooling Methods (Hydrocooling, Forced-Air Cooling and Slush Icing) and Plastic Overwrap on Broccoli Quality during Simulated Commercial Handling Open
Broccoli is a highly perishable crop, due to its high respiration rate, and rapidly loses quality under inappropriate handling temperatures. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of commercial hydrocooling (HY), forced-air…
View article: Reduced ethylene synthesis of mangoes under high CO2 atmosphere storage
Reduced ethylene synthesis of mangoes under high CO2 atmosphere storage Open
High CO2 atmospheres have been reported to be accountable for slower ripening processes of many fruit species. In modified or controlled atmosphere storage of mangoes (Mangifera indica L.) delayed ripening is attributed to the effects of C…
View article: Growth and Yield Responses of Pot-Grown Long Bean and Luffa to Nitrogen Rates
Growth and Yield Responses of Pot-Grown Long Bean and Luffa to Nitrogen Rates Open
Optimizing nitrogen (N) input rates for vegetable production is crucial in Florida to reducing production costs and enhancing environmental sustainability. Asian vegetables emerging and expanding in Florida not only increase profit for gro…
View article: Potential of Postharvest Coatings to Maintain Freshness of Red-Fleshed Pitaya (Hylocereus costaricensis)
Potential of Postharvest Coatings to Maintain Freshness of Red-Fleshed Pitaya (Hylocereus costaricensis) Open
Pitaya is a non-climacteric fruit that has white or red flesh with numerous small, black seeds. It has a high moisture content; however, water loss during handling and storage negatively affects the fresh weight, firmness and appearance of…
View article: Harvest of Southern Highbush Blueberry with a Modified, Over-the-Row Mechanical Harvester: Use of Soft-Catch Surfaces to Minimize Impact Bruising
Harvest of Southern Highbush Blueberry with a Modified, Over-the-Row Mechanical Harvester: Use of Soft-Catch Surfaces to Minimize Impact Bruising Open
Harvest of fresh market, southern highbush blueberries (SHB) is labor intensive and costly, leading to a demand for alternative harvest methods. Recent research has shown potential for mechanically harvesting blueberries with minimal bruis…
View article: Accelerated Shelf-life Testing to Predict Quality Loss in Romaine-type Lettuce
Accelerated Shelf-life Testing to Predict Quality Loss in Romaine-type Lettuce Open
The postharvest life of lettuce ( Lactuca sativa ) is variable and negatively affected by mechanical injury, incomplete cooling, and poor genetic quality. Lettuce breeders are developing cultivars with a longer shelf life and rely on subje…
View article: Reduced ethylene synthesis of mangoes under high CO2 atmosphere storage
Reduced ethylene synthesis of mangoes under high CO2 atmosphere storage Open
. High CO2 atmospheres have been reported to be accountable for slower ripening processes of many fruit species. In modified or controlled atmosphere storage of mangoes (Mangifera indica L.) delayed ripening is attributed to the effects of…
View article: Elderberry and Elderflower (Sambucus spp): Markets, Establishment Costs, and Potential Returns
Elderberry and Elderflower (Sambucus spp): Markets, Establishment Costs, and Potential Returns Open
Elderberry is an alternative crop that holds promise for further commercial development in Florida. This 7-page fact sheet written by Kevin Athearn, David Jarnagin, Ali Sarkhosh, Juanita Popenoe, and Steven Sargent and published by the UF/…