Edna Pesis Ph.D

Research Interests

• Fruit ripening processes including: cell wall degradation, ethylene metabolism, respiration, anaerobic respiration, color development, aroma and taste.
• Modified atmosphere and modified humidity packaging to maintain subtropical fruit quality.
• Finding solutions for keeping quality of organic fruits without using chemicals
• Application of 1-methylcyclopropane (1-MCP) in order to increase storage duration and to improve subtropical fruit quality.
• Alleviation of chilling injury and decay development in tropical and subtropical fruits including: avocado, mango, papaya, tomato, banana, guava, lychee, longan, date and fig.
  

Recent Publications

• Pesis, E., Krilo, V., Feygenberg, O., Ackerman, M., Ben-Arie, R., and Prusky, D. (2003). Postharvest effect of 1-MCP on ripening of avocado cv. Ettinger. In: Biology and Biothechnology of the Plant Hormone Ethylene III. pg. 397-401. Vendrell, M., Klee, H., Pech, J. C., Romojaro, F., (Eds.).
• Pesis, E., Dvir, O., Feygenberg, O., Ben-Arie, R., Ackerman, M. and Lichter, A. (2002). Production of acetaldehyde and ethanol during maturation and modified atmosphere storage of litchi fruit. Postharvest Biol. Technol. 26: 157-165.
• Pesis, E., Ackerman, M., Ben-Arie, R., Feygenberg, O., Feng, X., Apelbaun, A., Goren, R. and Prusky, D. (2002). Ethylene involvement in chilling injury symptoms of avocado during cold storage. Postharvest Biol. Technol. 24: 171-181.
• Pesis, E., Copel, A., Ben-Arie, R., Feygenberg, O. and Aharoni, Y. (2001). Low oxygen treatment for inhibition of decay and ripening in organic banana. J. Hort. Sci. & Biotech. 76: 648-652.
• Pesis, E., Aharoni, D., Aharon, Z., Ben Arie, R., Aharoni, N., Fuchs, Y. (2000). Modified atmosphere and modifie d humidity packaging alleviates chilling injury in mango fruit. Postharvest Biol. Technol. 19: 93-101.
• Baldwin, E.A., Burns, J.K., Kazokas, W., Brecht, J.K., Hagenmaier, R.D., Bender, R.J. and Pesis, E. (1999). Effect of two edible coatings with different permeability characteristics on mango ripening during storage. Postharvest Biol Technol. 17: 215-226.
• Pesis, E. Faiman, D. and Dori, S. (1998) Postharvest effects of acetaldehyde vapour on ripening-related enzyme activity in avocado fruit. Postharvest Biol. Technol. 13:245-253.
• Pesis, E., Faura, M. and Marinansky-Ben Arie, R. (1997) Induction of chilling tolerance in mango by temperature conditioning, heat, low oxygen and ethanol vapours. Acta Hort. 455:629-634.
• Pesis, E. (1996). Induction of fruit aroma and quality by postharvest application of natural metabolites or anaerobic conditions. In: Modern Methods of Plant Analysis. Fruit and Nut Analysis (Jackson, J.F. and Linskens, H.F., eds.) Springer-Verlag, Vol. 18 pp. 19-35.
• Pesis, E., Marinansky, R., Zauberman, G. and Fuchs, Y. (1994). Prestorage low oxygen atmosphere treatment reduces chilling injury symptoms in ‘Fuerte’ avocado fruit. HortScience 29: 1042-1046.

Current Projects

• Enhancement of fruit aroma and quality by anaerobic conditions or by anaerobic metabolites - acetaldehyde and ethanol.
• Inhibition of ripening and ethylene production in subtropical fruits by application of 1-methylcyclopropane (1-MCP), the inhibitor of ethylene action.
• Coating with organic waxes to improve the quality of organic fruits.
• Storage of subtropical fruits in modified atmosphere by using various films for fruit wrapping in order to reduce chilling injury symptoms and to increase shelf life.
• Use of physical pre-treatments such as anaerobiosis or heat to reduce chilling injury and fungal development by increasing the defense mechanisms in subtropical fruits.

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