Horticultural Science and Postharvest
Different aspects of fruit (for fresh consumption and processing), vegetable, ornamental and medicinal species production and supply chain are investigated in this area
The main research topics of this Unit deal with:
- In vitro cultures of organs, tissues and plant cells of vegetable crops, ornamental and medicinal species for germplasm propagation, conservation and characterization
- Development of plant cellular agriculture for the production of novel foods
- Influence of climate changes (abiotic stresses) and pre-harvest factors on the phenology and floral and fruiting biology of fruit tree species by means of morpho-anatomical and biochemical studies
- Implementation of omics platforms to study processes determining the quality of different crops and their integration with non-destructive monitoring techniques
- Sensors applied to field production
- Fruit-oriented innovations to improve quality of processed produce (wine and olive oil)
- Ripening and postharvest physiology/molecular biology of perishable horticultural produce
- Field, environmental and cultivation factors affecting fruit composition and quality