Postharvest research and its contribution to export in

Israel: grape production as a model

Dr Amnon Lichter

Department of Postharvest Science

ARO, The Volcani Center
The significance of postharvest research to export and
local markets

In general the cost of production after harvest is about

50% of the total cost.

Therefore investment in proper postharvest practice is

essential to minimize losses.

The presence of infrastructure for postharvest research

ensures that problems and modifications can be handled
and performed in a professional manner.

Local markets can be negative or positive drivers of quality

The Table grape model

The investment in labor to prepare vineyards for high

quality grape production is estimated at 30% of annual
cost.

Strong local market and presence of strong local producer

derives quality to high standards.

Maintenance of high quality in local markets persuades

importers to buy fruit from farmers with good practice.

If there is one standard for local markets and export

companies export can be done upon demand at any time
during the season.
In the case of table grapes there are 2 major export
windows.
1. Early production in May when fruit from South Africa
and Chile is no longer available
2. A mountain of grapes in the middle of the season
makes export very economical.

In addition local storage extends the season by 3-4

month and there is minor export of fruit from local
storage

For Table grapes export serves as a buffer for the

local market.
The Avocado/Pepper model

Export is a major driver of quality. The overall production is

much larger than local market demands.
The local markets serves as a buffer for the export and as a
source of sale of low grade produce.
 Example what can be done for tomato
Tomato model

Medium export due to competition export is reserved to

niche produce such as cluster tomato (this niche
developed over the last 10 years to 0.5 M tons in EU
market).

In tomato fluctuations in production make export less

profitable. Cold stress causes attenuation of supply > rise
in fruit price in the local market > decline in profitability to
export tomato.
 Rotem
290

280
Firmness (gr/mm)

270

260

250

240

230
Control MCP Control MCP

15.1.07 22.1.07

Rotem

50

46
Color (h)

42

38

34

30
Control MCP Control MCP
15.1.07 22.1.07
Semi commercial experiment with 1-MCP to delay
ripening and extend the season in cherry tomato
 Orange 12C
100
a a

80 a
a
60 a
Decay (%) Cheek Severe
40 Cheek Initial
b
b b Stem end Severe
b
20 b
b Stem end Initial
b
0
C 300 600 C 300 600 C 300 600 C 300 600

1 2 3 4
Experiments in avocado
and apples with 1-MCP
to delay ripening, reduce
decay and storage
disorders

1-MCP Control
Postharvest research: the Israeli model
Structure of the department of postharvest science

Vegetables
4
Root vegetables 3 Phytopathology
2
1
Fruit 0 Transgenics

Herbs Fresh cut

Flowers
In large (and rich) countries postharvest science is
scattered
In small countries (especially isolated countries) it
makes sense to bring together all the postharvest
scientists.
This can produce competition among them but also fast
dissemination of knowledge across the board.
The key is to build a successful structure is to minimize
overlap and build synergistic interactions
It is also important to keep tight connections with the
industry, the farmers and the consumers.
Lessons from the Israeli export system
The situation in the past
One big company
One medium company
Three small companies

The big company had:

A network of growers and product managers
Logistic and R&D department s
Ships and a network of branches in Europe

Investment in new knowledge and support of research was high

Researchers had an address to address problems
Standard quality was maintained at high level

Competition was low and wastage was high

Large investments failed to deliver
Keeping the entire network was costly
The situation today

The big company did not make it.

The medium company became big
The smaller exporters kept there share or became smaller
More than a hundreds of small companies joined the race

Competition became very high

R&D was broken down
A lot of knowledge was lost
The standards became low
Incidents of low quality export reflected on all the
companies
The association between Israel as a label of quality
deteriorated.
Achievements in grape production and export in Israel

Advancing ripening
Delaying ripening
Improving grape quality
Study of factors affecting sensitivity to decay
Improving current storage methods
Development of alternative storage technologies
Application of ABA to advance ripening: the extreme case

Control 400 / 800 ppm S-ABA

Ethrel facilitates reduction in the amount of ABA

7.9

31.0 28.4 30.7

Distribution of fruit color (%)
Dark
74.3
73.2
Medium

61.1 58.7 Light

62.7

Green

18.8
17.8
9.9 10.6

Control S-ABA S-ABA Ethrel E+S

200 400 0.05% 200+0.05%

Advancing production of Flame Seedless - Jordan Valley
Control Ethrel X 2 S-ABA 600 ppm
Delaying maturation of Thompson Seedless with the cytokinin CPPU
Multiplex3 portable autofluoresence instrument to
measure fruit quality in the vineyard
 5 2.0
FLR (FER_RUV; SFR)

4 1.5

FLR (NBI; FER_RG)

3 1.0

2 0.5

1 0.0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

SFR_G SFR_R FER_RUV FER_RG NBI_G NBI_R

The effect of CPPU on chlorophyll level in Thompson Seedless grapes

2.9

2.7

2.5
Control
2.3
SFR_R

2ppm 1st
2.1 4ppm 1st
1.9 2ppm 2nd
4ppm 2nd
1.7

1.5
Delay of maturation of Thompson Seedless grapes with CPPU
 Rachis Browning after storage

After Harvest After Storage

1 2 3 4 5
Image analysis
Comparison of subjective and objective measurements

Thompson Thompson
5
1.0
2d 4d 7d 11 d
2d 4d
4 0.8

Browning (Br-50)
Rachis Index

0.6
3

0.4
2
0.2

1 0.0
VPD 0.06 0.07 0.41 0.68 VPD 0.06 0.07 0.41 0.68

RH 95 97 67 70 95 97 67 70
RH
T 10 20 11 19 10 20 11 19
T
The effect of packaging on rachis quality in 4 table grape cultivars

0.6
Control a
0.5
Packaging a
a
0.4 b
b
b
BR-50

0.3 a
a
0.2

0.1

0.0
A B C D
Cultivars
Prolonging storage of grapes by improved control of SO2 release

2- SO2

120
DR-O
100 VL9-5d
VL3
80
SO2 ppm

60

40

20

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180

 Combination of sanitation and modified atmosphere
for improved storage of grapes

25

20 XF PE
45 d
CO2 (%)

15

10

0
10 15 20 25 30 35
Control Ethanol
40
a
a
30 45 d
Decay (%)

20 +3
b
b b
10
c c
0 MA MA+EtOH
Specific liners with control of excess RH
PE
2

L
2

H
H

H
SO
0.

P-
tO
O

O
PE

Et

Et
N
+E
2+

L+
2+

PE
0.

0.

P-
PE

PE

N
 Air-phase control of decay during storage
EF
Control
 Air-phase control of fungal development

0h 1h 3h

0h 6h

6h 12 h 24 h
1h 12 h

3h 24 h

T0=0 T0=24 h
 The question: who do we work for

The Abubaker family The Malander family

Chad Germany
1.23 $ a week 500 $ a week

The truth is probably in the middle