Public Funding for Aps Produce Limited

Fresh tomatoes and peppers are high value crops and are an important part of a healthy human diet. These products are highly perishable and are subject to peaks and troughs in production. Low temperatures are currently used to extend shelf life, but the shelf life is short and energy costs are high. As a result, the supply chain for such products remains unacceptable wasteful. A plant hormone, ethylene, is key to the ripening process, the production of which can be minimised by the use of chemicals. Chemical application however remains a barrier to consumer acceptance; the project will develop the use of an innovative non-chemical non-contact technique which safely removes ethylene from the air around fresh produce. Commercial scale trials and laboratory investigations will be conducted to establish when and how to safely suspend ripening within the supply chain to deliver safe, high quality nutritious fresh UK produced food to the consumer.

One of the most costly problems growers of edible and non- edible horticulture crops face is loss in production and spoilage of harvested product to the fungal pathogen, Botrytis cinerea. Botrytis is commonly known as grey mould and is a significant factor in reduced shelf-life and consumer fresh produce waste. Standard 'control' techniques which involve direct spray application of fungicide are often ineffective. This project aims to develop an innovative non-contact approach to eradicate Botrytis both in the pre- and post- harvest environments for tomato and cut flower crops; this involves the use of ultra violet light to induce natural plant resistance mechanisms and the removal of the gaseous plant hormone ethylene to prevent Botrytis infection. The technique will minimise waste both in the production and domestic environments and extend shelf-life. It will also promote the industry's green credentials in meeting consumer expectations of available, residue free and safe fresh produce.

Botrytis, in a bad season can affect up to 30% of the tomato crop, potentially costing UK growers over £50 million!This is a project to show that our natural anti botrytis agents are effective against the disease. We plan to generate quantitative data to support this theory. Are the agents effective as curative and/or preventative agents.If effective these agents could contribute to greater profitability in this sector of the UK’s horticulture industry.