FONCYT Doctoral Scholarship competition
Call for proposals: PICT 2016
Type of scholarship: INITIAL
Area: Food technology
Project code: PICT-2016 - 0506
Title of the project: Development of technological tools to reduce post-harvest softening and improve value Kiwis "Hayward" nutraceutical and detection of physical markers and biochemical associates.
Responsible researcher: Andreu, Adriana B
The scholarship topic:
The kiwi is a climacteric fruit that can be harvested from physiological maturity and can be stored at 0 ° C and 90-95% HR, up to 6 months in the case of the cultivar 'Hayward'. Softening and the increase in the content of sugars by degradation of starch are the most relevant changes associated with the organoleptic ripeness. While the size of the fruit has a direct impact on the selling price, firmness is a requirement set by exporters and wholesalers, resulting in the rejection should be less than the desired, regardless of the size of the fruit. Consequently, the rate of softening is the limiting factor of the time in which the fruits can stay in optimal conditions after being harvested and defines the destination of the fruit (immediate sale to local or distant markets storage for periods (long or short, etc). The softening is related, in addition, with increased susceptibility to pathogens attack and greater losses post-harvest, affecting the economic return.