UK-based B-hive Improvements – which develops applied sciences for the recent produce business to extend marketable yield, enhance crop utilisation and high quality, cut back meals waste and add worth to produce chains – has unveiled a brand new programme that goals to cut back the danger of potato bruising and develop applied sciences that might cut back grocery store waste.
In partnership with scientists on the Nationwide Bodily Laboratory (NPL), B-hive’s analysis workforce will examine non-destructive strategies of measuring turgor strain in potatoes; that is the drive inside cells that pushes outwards, permitting the cells to face up to shocks and cut back bruising.
The mission will collect intensive information to offer proof of ideas for instruments that finally may mechanically type completely different recent produce by bruising threat.
Dr Barbara Correia, UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and TuberTurgor mission lead at B-hive, stated growers and supermarkets are more and more impacted by potato bruising that’s introduced on by extended durations of drought from rising international temperatures. “This may drastically enhance susceptibility to bruising harm throughout dealing with, so there’s a supply-chain want to research how this may be diminished by way of devising early, non-destructive detection measures,” she stated.
A variety of strategies might be explored
Collaborating with the workforce at NPL to utilise its technical experience and entry to turgor evaluation strategies, B-hive might be testing a collection of potential strategies to measure turgor strain. A variety of strategies might be explored, together with bodily hardness measures, ultrasonic and spectroscopic testing, in addition to excessive decision imaging approaches.
After an preliminary interval to outline the analysis protocol, the workforce might be conducting the primary testing part from August to October to find out essentially the most profitable testing methodologies. This may inform the second testing part to assemble intensive information for essentially the most promising strategies – set to happen from November till the mission completes in March – with refinements being regularly made.
Dr Tony Maxwell, technical lead on the Nationwide Bodily Laboratory, stated: “NPL has a protracted historical past within the growth of measurement strategies, and we’re excited to have the ability to apply our experience to a difficulty that so instantly influences agricultural productiveness and the atmosphere.”
Dr Andrew Gill, common supervisor at B-hive, stated: “The TuberTurgor mission is our newest fresh-produce evaluation initiative, which has been devised to assist provide chains minimise waste.
“Bruising contributes to huge losses in productiveness and reputational harm for each growers and supermarkets. We’re delighted to have secured funding that might assist to retain a excessive general high quality of finish produce, as growers face ongoing challenges to handle their crop.”
