Systems-Based Approach To Enhance Quality, Safety, And Shelf Life Of Organic Tree Fruit In The Pacific Northwest

Pome fruit growers and packers lack sustainable solutions that fit organic guidelines to grow, store, and pack fruit safely and efficiently. The long-term goals of this project are to empower organic pome fruit stakeholders with novel and more effective approaches to reduce fungal decays, physiological disorders, and human pathogen contaminations. Specefic objectives are:1- Conduct on-farm research to assess the efficacy of enhanced preharvest management practices to fight fungal infections and improve fruit quality in storage2- Conduct lab- and postharvest-research to assess efficacy of non-chemical methods to improve quality and reduce fungal decays3- Assess the efficacy of postharvest organic antimicrobial coatings to mitigate microbial and fungal contaminations in organic fruit4- Develop and deliver outreach activities to organic stakeholders