Data Collection Beyond Harvest: Simple and Rapid Ways to Collect Information on Produce Composition, Storage Life, and Phytochemicals

Often, once yields are collected, it’s not clear what to do with produce from germplasm trials or production studies.  Additional information can be helpful when trying to get that next manuscript published or determining the value of selections, but limits of space and time mean that data must be collected rapidly.  Collection of total solids content and pH can be done rapidly and relatively cheaply with the right instrumentation.  Estimation of total lycopene, chlorophyll, and beta carotene can be done using colorimeters and spectrophotometers. Some idea of shelf life, such as the rate of loss of weight or firmness can be done using a combination of subjective ratings and inexpensive instrumentation.  In this presentation, instruments, rating systems, and types of data that can be collected will be discussed.