Search Results (4,487)

Rice is a staple food for global nutrition, and its processing generates large volumes of waste with a consequent environmental impact. The industry needs to improve its capacity to manage and treat this waste with more sustainable options than traditional management methods, thereby mitigating the environmental impact of the rice industry. Among the waste streams generated, rice bran represents a significant fraction that is largely underutilized. This study proposes a comprehensive approach to rice bran recovery, aiming to transform 100% of the waste into bio-based products through a three-stage biorefinery approach that combines chemical and biological operations. The process began with the ethanolic extraction of rice bran, which yielded 20.58% (w·w⁻¹) rice bran oil. This oil, evaluated through both in vitro and in vivo trials, has demonstrated effectiveness when combined with commercial edible coatings, reducing post-harvest damage in grapes and lemons by 15–20%. Following extraction, the remaining defatted rice bran, accounting for 79.42% (w·w⁻¹) of the initial material, was used as a carbon-rich substrate for microbial fermentation by Haloferax mediterranei. This step converts 28.75% (w·w⁻¹) of rice bran into microbial biomass and 12.75% (w·w⁻¹) into polyhydroxybutyrate-valerate. The undigested residual biomass, comprising 37.95% (w·w⁻¹) of the starting material, was further valorized through the purification of high-value products such as cellulose (13.08% (w·w⁻¹)), hemicellulose (14.58% (w·w⁻¹)), and lignin (10.29% (w·w⁻¹)). Overall, the biorefinery model recovers 100% of the initial waste and demonstrates, under laboratory conditions, the model’s ability to transform rice bran into six products of industrial interest, offering an option with the potential to effectively manage rice bran waste and help circularize the production model of an industry that traditionally operates under a linear production model. Full article

Shellfish aquaculture is considered a major pillar of the seafood industry for its high market value, which increases the value for global food security and sustainability, often constrained in terms of conventional, labor-intensive practices. This review outlines the importance of automation and its advances in the shellfish value chain, starting from the hatchery operations to harvesting, processing, traceability, and logistics. Emerging technologies such as imaging, computer vision, artificial intelligence, robotics, IoT, blockchain, and RFID provide a major impact in transforming the shellfish sector by improving the efficiency, reducing the labor costs and environmental impacts, enhancing the food safety, and providing transparency throughout the supply chain. The studies involving the bivalves and crustaceans on their automated feeding, harvesting, grading, depuration, non-destructive quality assessments, and smart monitoring in transportation are highlighted in this review to address concerns involved with conventional practices. The review puts forth the need for integrating automated technologies into farm management and post-harvest operations to scale shellfish aquaculture sustainably, meeting the rising global demand while aligning with the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). Full article

Poland, as a leading apple producer in the EU, must maintain high fruit quality during prolonged storage and distribution, which is crucial for exports to distant markets. Therefore, it is essential to clearly identify which factors most strongly affect quality and the magnitude of their effects in order to make informed choices about pre- and postharvest practices, storage technology, and logistics. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of selected factors on the quality of apples of the ‘Gala Schniga^® SchniCo Red(s)’ cultivar after long-term storage. The study analyzed the effects of harvest date (optimal and delayed), three variants of 1-methylcyclopropene application (control-0 µL·L⁻¹ 1-MCP, Harvista™, SmartFresh™, and Harvista™ + SmartFresh™), storage period (5, 7, and 9 months), simulated trading period (0 or 7 days at 20 °C) and storage technology (ULO: 1.2% CO₂: 1.2% O₂; DCA: 0.6% CO₂: 0.6% O₂) in two consecutive seasons (2022/2023 and 2023/2024). Five quality parameters were evaluated: flesh firmness (F), soluble solid content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), SSC/TA ratio, and the concentration of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC). Backward-elimination stepwise regression and partial eta squared (η²) calculations were used to analyze the data to determine the factors with the greatest impact. The post-harvest application of 1-MCP had the strongest effect in terms of maintaining firmness (η² = 70.4%) and acidity (η² = 38.0%) and reducing ACC content (η² = 21.3%). Harvista™ preparation had a weaker or negligible effect on ACC content, but reduced SSC (η² = 22.7%). Harvest date, storage duration, and shelf life significantly influenced all traits, with controlled-atmosphere regime further modulating outcomes. By integrating preharvest maturity with treatment timing and CA storage, we disentangled the relative contributions of harvest timing, treatment, and storage. The results provide actionable inputs for a decision-support tool to help producers maintain target quality—firmness, SSC, TA, SSC/TA, and ACC—through optimized practice, storage technology choice, and logistics. Full article

Polysaccharide-based edible coatings are increasingly explored as sustainable strategies for maintaining quality of fresh produce, acting as barriers to gas exchange while improving mechanical and optical properties. However, their effectiveness depends not only on the intrinsic features but also on the structural and physiological diversity of fruits and vegetables, which vary in peel composition, hydrophobicity, and texture. This study investigated plant-derived polysaccharide films (cassava starch, potato starch, corn starch, carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, and pectin) characterized for moisture resistance, solubility, permeability, thermal stability, hydrophilicity, opacity, gloss, and mechanical strength. Concurrently, different fruits and vegetables (fruit, root, and tubers) were analyzed for their surface hydrophilicity to establish correlations between film properties and peel characteristics. The findings emphasize that no single polymer can be universally applied. In addition, the choice of matrix must be guided by both film functionality and produce surface traits. Starch-based films presented high hydrophilicity, suggesting better wettability, while pectin and cellulose derivatives presented distinct advantages for less hydrophilic peels. This work highlights the importance of tailoring edible coatings according to the physicochemical compatibility between films and fresh produce surfaces, providing insights for improving post-harvest preservation strategies and guiding the development of effective, sustainable coatings for diverse horticultural commodities. Full article

Prostephanus truncatus is well known for causing extensive postharvest losses and threatening food security in tropical and subtropical regions. The reliance on synthetic insecticides has raised concerns about the development of resistance, environmental safety, food contamination, and human health, emphasizing the need for alternative management strategies. Thus, the present study evaluated the insecticidal efficacy of diatomaceous earth (DE) in the Protector formula alone and in combination with spinosad, abamectin, or the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana against P. truncatus adults and their progeny production on maize under two temperatures (25 and 30 °C) at low concentrations. Bioassays revealed that DE or B. bassiana alone induced low mortality, while spinosad and abamectin single applications resulted in high mortality rates, achieving 100% after 21 days of exposure at 30 °C at the higher concentrations. The combined applications of spinosad or abamectin with DE resulted in complete mortality and progeny suppression at lower concentrations at 25 °C. Temperature had a significant influence in some cases. Overall, these findings demonstrate that DE, when combined with other natural insecticidal agents at low concentrations, especially spinosad and abamectin at specific temperatures, can provide highly effective control of P. truncatus, offering a promising strategy for integrated pest management (IPM) in stored maize. Full article

Extreme environments are a largely unexplored reservoir of microbial diversity, with a remarkable potential to be exploited in agriculture. One hundred and seventeen yeast isolates, derived from different ecosystems in Italy, Sweden, Algeria, and France, were molecularly identified, and the most represented genus was Aureobasidium (57%). A phylogenetic analysis based on a multi-locus sequence typing (ITS, ELO, EF-1alpha) was conducted to characterize the black yeasts’ population. To investigate A. pullulans extremophilic and extremotolerant behaviour, different temperatures and pH, together with the enzymatic production, were evaluated. The strains were tested by in vitro and in vivo assays against the postharvest fungal pathogen Monilinia fructicola as potential biocontrol agents (BCAs). Results displayed a great ecological variability concerning strains’ growth and cell production depending on different culture conditions. However, a remarkable thermotolerance aptitude was detected in almost all the strains. In particular, the strains belonging to Group 2 (Algerian Desert) and 3 (Alto Adige Region) showed, respectively, higher thermotolerance and biocontrol ability. These findings showed how some extreme environments could represent a promising source for new potential BCAs. However, further studies are needed to investigate the mechanisms of action of these putative BCAs for application during the postharvest phase. Full article

Postharvest losses in onion (Allium cepa L.) bulbs constitute a major economic challenge globally, primarily driven by fungal pathogens and premature sprouting during long-term storage. Addressing these issues with effective preharvest strategies is critical for market stability and supply chain integrity. This study evaluated the effects of two preharvest fungicide strategies, i.e., T1 (dimethomorph + pyraclostrobin) and T2 (metalaxyl + mancozeb + copper oxychloride), on the crop yield, postharvest quality, and sprouting behavior of dried onion bulbs. Both treatments significantly reduced the incidence of foliar disease in the field and improved the crop yield of commercial bulbs compared to the control in two consecutive seasons. T1 achieved the highest yield (~76 and 88 t ha⁻¹ in ‘Mata Hari’ and ’Recas’ onions). During storage at 20 °C for 84 days, in the ‘Mata Hari’ cultivar, the T1 bulbs exhibited the lowest weight loss and respiration rate, the lowest sprouting incidence (1%), and superior firmness retention and higher total soluble solids. In contrast, control bulbs exhibited accelerated weight loss and tissue degradation, with up to 95% sprouting. Pyruvic acid content, an indicator of pungency, was highest in T1 bulbs and increased significantly in sprouted controls, likely due to internal enzymatic activation and tissue senescence. The fungicides indirectly delayed dormancy release by delaying sprouting and internal stem axis formation. Overall, T1 was the most effective strategy for preserving onion quality during storage without using synthetic sprout inhibitors. These findings support the integration of specific fungicide programs into preharvest management to improve onion storability, reduce postharvest losses, and maintain commercial value in intermediate-dormancy dried onion cultivars, such as ‘Mata Hari’. Full article

Non-destructive assessment of kiwifruit quality is critical for postharvest preservation and grading. This paper proposes a novel quantitative evaluation method for the kiwifruit comprehensive quality index (KCQI) during shelf life, based on hyperspectral imaging (HSI) combined with a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN). Hyperspectral images of two kiwifruit cultivars were acquired at four shelf-life stages using an HSI system, and six quality parameters were measured as reference standards. Based on correlation and factor analyses, five key parameters—soluble solids content, firmness, L*, b*, and chroma—were selected to construct the KCQI. Three spectral band selection methods and three modeling algorithms were compared, with the competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS)–1D-CNN model yielding the highest prediction accuracy ($R_P^2$ = 0.82, RMSEP = 0.26, RPD_P = 2.39). Subsequently, a spatial distribution map was generated to visualize the KCQI. These results demonstrate the potential of the HSI–1D-CNN approach for accurate postharvest quality monitoring and intelligent grading. Full article

Facing the significant challenges posed by global population growth and urbanization, plant factories, as an efficient closed cultivation system capable of precise environmental control, have become a key direction in the development of modern agriculture. However, high energy consumption, particularly lighting (which accounts for over 50%), remains a major bottleneck limiting their large-scale application. This study systematically explored the effects of dynamic light regulation strategies on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) growth, physiological and biochemical indicators (such as chlorophyll, photosynthetic, and fluorescence parameters), nutritional quality, energy utilization efficiency, and post-harvest shelf life. Four different light treatments were designed: a stepwise increasing photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) from 160 to 340 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ (T1), a constant light intensity of 250 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ (T2), a three-stage strategy with high light intensity in the middle phase (T3), and a three-stage strategy with sequentially increasing light (T4). The results showed that the T4 treatment exhibited the best overall performance. Compared with the T2 treatment, the T4 treatment increased biomass by 23.4%, significantly improved the net photosynthetic rate by 50.32% at the final measurement, and increased ascorbic acid (AsA) and protein content by 33.36% and 33.19%, respectively. Additionally, this treatment showed the highest energy use efficiency. On the 30th day of treatment, the light energy use efficiency (LUE) and electrical energy use efficiency (EUE) of the T4 treatment were significantly increased, by 23.41% and 23.9%, respectively, compared with the T2 treatment. In summary, dynamic light regulation can synergistically improve crop yield, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic efficiency, nutritional quality, and energy utilization efficiency, providing a theoretical basis and solution for precise light regulation and energy consumption reduction in plant factories. Full article

Plant variety/genotype identification has many applications in establishing the identity of plants, including the protection of intellectual property rights and the management of ex situ conservation of genetic resources. The variety may be important for operational reasons based on field performance or post-harvest processing. Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.), an economically important crop, is propagated by cuttings and commercially important accessions require an accurate variety traceability regime for the maintenance of purity, protection and policing ownership. Genome sequencing methods have improved and are feasible for use, making examination of the whole genome for all possible information on the genotype the ultimate way to distinguish plant varieties. We identified 5.3–5.5 million high-confidence homozygous SNPs with over 99% accuracy, enabling the distinction of 41 blueberry varieties. We developed a novel data-noise identification and filtering framework, which correctly determined the identity of ten unknown samples to be the Masena variety with 100% accuracy. The approach of using a data-noise filtration step minimized the impact of sequencing errors and coincident sequencing of only one allele of any heterozygous base. This SNP-based protocol with the establishment of sequence databases for all varieties of important plant species can potentially be adopted in providing reliable variety identification in critical industrial or legal applications. Full article

Postharvest operations are cost intensive in microalgae production, and when electrocoagulation–electroflotation (EC/EF) with aluminum anodes is used, aluminum can remain associated with biomass and wash streams; hence, a selective postwash process is needed. Accordingly, this study defined an operational window for aluminum desorption that preserves the energetic advantage of EC/EF. A response-surface design (I-optimal/CCD) was used to evaluate the effects of the EDTA concentration (1–100 mM), contact time (5–20 min), mixing speed (100–300 rpm), and pH (6–10) on EC/EF-harvested Chlorella sp. biomass, with ANOVA and model diagnostics supporting adequacy. EDTA concentration and mixing emerged as significant factors, whereas time and pH acted mainly through interactions; moreover, quadratic terms for EDTA and mixing indicated diminishing returns at high levels. Consequently, the surface predicted an optimum near EDTA ≈ 65 mM, time ≈ 20 min, pH 10, and 100 rpm, corresponding to ~97% aluminum removal. Importantly, a confirmation run under these conditions across eight chlorophyte strains consistently achieved >95% removal, revealing narrow dispersion yet statistically distinguishable means. Taken together, coupling EC/EF with an EDTA postwash operation in the identified window effectively limits aluminum carry-over in microalgal biomass and, therefore, provides a reproducible basis for downstream conditioning and potential recirculation within biorefinery schemes. Full article

Hylocereus species are promising for enhancing fruit productivity in arid regions, but high solar radiation often leads to yield loss. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term impact of different shading levels on the physiological performance, productivity, and post-harvest quality of Hylocereus costaricensis under semi-arid conditions. Plants were grown in the field under two shade levels, i.e., 35 and 50% and their performances were compared to plants under control, i.e., 0% of shade or full sunlight. The nighttime CO₂ assimilation and productivity increased significantly by 310.5 and 114.6% and 34.3 and 50.14% for plants under 35 and 50% of shade, respectively, compared to the control. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed that shade enhanced skin betalain (BETS) and phenolic content (PETP), whereas non-shaded plants expressed traits more closely associated with plant and fruit photoprotective pigment synthesis, i.e., total carotenoids and yellow flavonoids, respectively, along with total sugar accumulation, underscoring the significant impact of shading on both metabolic activity and overall agronomic outcomes. Shading within the 35% to 50% range is effective to cope with high solar radiation by improving photosynthetic capacity, productivity, and post-harvest quality, especially regarding the accumulation of pigments such as betalains, indicating that shade as an agro-technique is a valuable approach for the cultivation of Hylocereus species in dryland regions. Full article

Andean berry (Vaccinium meridionale Swartz) is a species of berry mostly exclusive to the Andean ecosystems, mainly present in Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, and Jamaica, where it grows between 2000 and 3000 m.a.s.l. Although most of the fruit is harvested naturally, limited fruit production significantly restricts large-scale farming and sales. Most research on phytochemicals from this berry has focused on polyphenolic compounds, particularly anthocyanins such as cyanidin-3-O-galactoside and delphinidin-3-O-hexoside. These compounds have significant antioxidant potential and require appropriate post-harvest handling to preserve their stability and biological functionality. A systematic literature search was conducted covering studies from January 2000 to January 2025 across Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Evidence from original research includes chemical analyses, in vitro biological activity, in vivo effects in animal models, and clinical studies. Although findings suggest antiproliferative, chemoprotective, and cardioprotective properties, current evidence remains largely preclinical, and clinical validation is urgently needed. Despite its promise, challenges persist in standardizing cultivation, scaling production, and optimizing post-harvest. The berry has been incorporated into food products, but further research is essential to support its transition from experimental use to validated clinical applications. Full article

Mechanical damage to apples that occurs without visible skin rupture represents a significant issue during handling and harvesting. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential for detecting initial internal tissue failure using parameters derived from the deformation curve obtained during a quasi-static penetration test. Particular attention was given to the parameter Pa, defined as the pressure at the yield point, which indicates the onset of structural failure in the tissue. The occurrence of Pa was monitored across five apple genotypes, and the results demonstrated the parameter’s sensitivity to latent internal damage. The parameter Pc, characterising resistance in the later phase of penetration, also showed a strong correlation with fruit bulk density. Significant differences in all mechanical characteristics were observed between the genotypes. The results highlight the potential of these parameters for assessing varietal suitability for mechanised harvesting and sorting. The proposed methodology is readily applicable in the selection of new genotypes within breeding programmes as well as in post-harvest situations. Full article

Background: The growing global demand for grains and the pursuit of greater efficiency in agroindustrial production processes have fueled scientific interest in technologies for automatic visual inspection of agricultural grains (AVIAG). Despite the increasing number of studies on this topic, few have addressed the practical implementation of these technologies within industrial environments. Objective: This study aims to investigate the technological demands, analyze the potential applications, and identify the challenges for technology transfer of AVIAG technologies to the agroindustrial sector. Methods: The methodological approach combined a comprehensive literature review, which enabled the mapping of AVIAG technology applications and technological maturity levels, with a structured survey designed to identify practical demands, challenges, and barriers to technology transfer in the agricultural sector. Results: The results show that most of the proposed solutions exhibit low technological maturity and require significant adaptation for practical application, which undermines the discussion on technology transfer. Conclusions: The main barriers to large-scale adoption of AVIAG technologies include limited dissemination of scientific knowledge, a shortage of skilled labor, high implementation costs, and resistance to changes in production processes. Nonetheless, the literature highlights benefits, such as increased automation, enhanced operational efficiency, and reduced post-harvest losses, which reinforce the potential of AVIAG technologies in advancing the modernization of the agroindustrial sector. Full article