Location: Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit
Project Number: 2072-22000-045-050-G
Project Type: Grant
Start Date: May 1, 2024
End Date: Oct 31, 2025
Objective:
1. Define and optimize the efficacy of far-UV treatment.
2. Assess far-UV treatment for improving postharvest berry shelf life and safety.
3. Investigate the efficacy of far-UV for pre-harvest disease control of strawberry.
Approach:
Evaluate and optimize the Far-Ultraviolet (Far-UV) technology to control decay-causing fungi and reduce food safety risks for berry fruits (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries). Far-UV refers to a spectrum of ultraviolet light with wavelengths shorter (normally peak at 222 nm) than the conventional UV-C light (peak at 254 nm) and is an emerging technology in food and agriculture. Compared to conventional UV-C, far-UV has the advantages of being safe for human exposure at low dosages, energy efficiency, longer lifespan, and effective against a wide range of pathogens.
