Natural product increases the post-harvest shelf life of strawberries

A study developed in the Postgraduate Program in Science and Technology at the Luiz Queiroz College of Agriculture (Esalq/USP) should improve the quality of post-harvest strawberries.

With guidance from professor Marta Helena Fillet Spoto, researcher Jacqueline de Oliveira tested the addition of essential oils to an edible coating and reduced the severity of important fungal diseases in strawberries, in addition to preserving the sensorial quality and maintaining the physical-chemical characteristics of the fruit .

“This association could represent an innovative, efficient and alternative strategy to toxic fungicides for the control of post-harvest diseases in strawberries, in addition to increasing the commercialization period of the fruit, which currently does not exceed a week and, based on research, could reach up to 18 days”, explains the author.

In this scenario, essential oils become good alternatives with low environmental impact for controlling fungi in fruits. “These alternatives involve essential oils, to control post-harvest diseases in fruits and vegetables”, concludes Jacqueline.