Postharvest handling of melons in Australia and China.
Morris, S., McConchie, R., Ma, K. and Tang, W.
Postharvest handling of fresh vegetables. Proceedings of a workshop held in Beijing, China, 9-11 May 2001 / editor; Tim O'Hare [et al.] . Imprint Canberra : ACIAR, 2001. p. 25-26 (126 p).
2001
บทคัดย่อ
In Australia and China, the main markets for melons are not local, but are in large coastal cities that are often more than 1500 km away from the production areas. In China, there are few interventions to control postharvest diseases or maintain melon quality, and very high losses (up to 35-50%) have been recorded. In Australia, losses are also a problem, but are proportionally lower. The fungicides that have been relied on in the past are either no longer available, or not as effective as they once were. This means that the opportunities to expand local and export markets in both countries are reduced. ACIAR-supported work aims to improve postharvest disease control, handling, market quality of melons and other cucurbits, and returns to growers in China and Australia. One of the main objectives is to develop strategies for the use of preharvest treatments that boost the natural defence mechanisms in melons, and postharvest treatments to control disease and maintain quality. The work also seeks to develop and test technologies that can be used during storage and transport to improve supply-chain management. The work should promote improvements in the melon industry through the involvement of farmers, marketers, and government agencies and increase the profitability of melon growers in both Australia and China.