- Author: Mary E. Reed
Beth Mitcham, Director of the Postharvest Technology Center said, “We were impressed by the attentiveness of the audience despite the language challenges and 10-hours a day in class. They were very appreciative of the opportunity to learn from us information that had seemed inaccessible to them in the past.”
Michael Reid agreed, saying, “We had lots of good questions and comments. Based on our 'snapshot of the country and the industry' there's a lot of room for improvement in postharvest handling of horticultural crops. There is obvious potential for increasing product diversity and import replacement as well as for exporting high value horticultural crops to the EU and to Russia, if the postharvest handling systems can be put in place. Following the course I had the opportunity to travel to Dubrovnik and saw quite a bit of greenhouse production of salad vegetables and field production of citrus and other crops on the coastal plain."
It was assumed initially that interest in this postharvest training opportunity would be modest, but as word got around of this unique opportunity, registrations greatly exceeded initial expectations. Interest in the training was so intense that radio and television crews conducted interviews with the instructors. Participants represented the countries of Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, and Ukraine.
- Posted By: Mary E. Reed
- Written by: Pamela Kan-Rice, Pamela Devine
From the "ANR Report" March 2011, Vol. 24, No. 9.
Born and raised in New Zealand, Michael Reid never anticipated a career in California, but he retired from a 32-year career as a UC Davis environmental horticulture professor and specialist in June 2010. Reid’s research has spanned the spectrum from basic biology of flower senescence to practical means of improving postharvest quality and life of ornamentals.
He earned a B.Sc. in botany, an M.Sc. in microbiology and a Ph.D. in cell biology at the University of Auckland.
As a Fulbright fellow, Reid spent a year at UC Davis studying postharvest physiology of melons and other crops. After further post-doctoral studies in England, he returned to the New Zealand Department of Scientc and Industrial Research, where he studied postharvest physiology and technology of apples, and “new” crops, including kiwifruit, tamarillos and feijoas.
In 1978, he joined UC Davis as an assistant professor in environmental horticulture, with teaching, research and extension responsibilities.
Together with UC Davis colleague Jim Thompson, Reid waged a campaign to persuade the flower industry of the importance of such elementary measures as cool temperatures, clean buckets and ventilation. He was involved in the development of STS and later 1-MCP as anti-ethylene treatments for cut flowers and potted plants.
He has published more than 200 research articles in peer-reviewed journals, and several hundred in grower and popular locations. He has also authored a number of books, including some in Italian and Spanish, on handling of cut flowers and related topics.
Reid served in the administration of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, as associate dean for Cooperative Extension, as statewide associate dean and as associate dean for the Division of the Environment. Within ANR, he served as chair of the Council of Associate Deans and Directors and program leader for Agricultural Productivity.
Industry has recognized Reid’s contributions with the Alex Laurie Award from the American Society for Horticultural Science, the Alex Laurie Prize from the Society of American Florists, and the Alan Armitage Award from the Specialty Cut Flower Growers Association. Last year he was the ARS Morrison Lecturer at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Horticultural Science and selected for induction into the California Floriculture Hall of Fame.
Reid and wife Nancy have retired to San Juan Bautista, with winters in New Zealand. Beekeeping is among his new ventures. He continues to be involved in the floriculture postharvest research program and the Postharvest Center, as well as serving on the management team of the Horticulture Collaborative Research Support Program.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Flowers?
He was just elected a member of California Floriculture Hall of Fame for distinguished leadership and service to the floral industry.
Bugs?
In 2008 he was elected a fellow of the Entomological Society of America (ESA), an honor given to entomologists who have made outstanding contributions in entomological research, teaching, extension or administration. ESA annually singles out only 10 of its some 5700 members for the high honor.
Parrella, professor and chair of the Department of Entomology at the University of California, Davis, is scheduled to be inducted into the California Floriculture Hall of Fame in February 2010. Another UC Davis professor, Michael Reid of the Department of Plant Sciences, will also be inducted then.
Parrella, who holds a joint appointment with the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, develops integrated pest management strategies for ornamental crops, with an emphasis on biological control. In 1985, he initiated what has become an annual conference on insect and disease management on ornamentals. The event is sponsored by the Society of American Florists.
Their names will be engraved on permanent plaques at the San Francisco Flower Market, the Los Angeles Flower Market and the San Diego International Floral Trade Center.
Kudos--or a bouquet of flowers--to these two outstanding scientists!