- Author: Elizabeth E Grafton-Cardwell
Experiments by Mary Lu Arpaia (University of California Riverside) and David Obenland (USDA-ARS Parlier) at the Lindcove Research and Extension Center using near infrared (NIR) technology show promise for detecting freeze damage in citrus fruit. Staff members of LREC sorted Washington navel and Tango mandarin fruit using NIR (in this case Taste Technologies equipment) and Drs. Arpaia and Obenland cut and evaluated the fruit and determined the ability of the software to differentiate undamaged, slightly damaged, and severely damaged fruit. NIR technology will help packing houses sort out the damaged fruit and increase sales in a freeze year such as this. For Lindcove researchers, this technology will help them measure freeze damage in citrus fruit in their experiments.