Research activity is carried out in two laboratories located in Sassari and Oristano. The personnel involved includes 1 senior research, 8 researchers, 9 technicians, 3 manual labors, 3 administratives.
The research activity of the Institute of Sassari is aimed at improving and/or developing novel or alternative postharvest technologies for quality maintenance of intact and minimally processed (fresh-cut) horticultural crops of the Mediterranean area. The impact of postharvest treatments and storage conditions are evaluated in terms of quality traits, including, physical and organoleptic characteristics, physiological behavior, pathological response and food safety of horticultural commodities.
Postharvest facilities include several normal and controlled atmosphere storage rooms equipped with nitrogen generators and ethylene removal apparatus, computer controlled temperature, relative humidity and 3 devices for time-temperature/data logger autorecorder, several apparatus for modified atmosphere packaging, for heat treatments and for hydrocooling.
The experimental orchard (total 8 ha, in Oristano) hosts a germoplasma collection of various fruit species (e.i. pear, apple, cherry, plum, fig, almond, and olive) of Sardinian, national, and international germoplasm. In addition, there are various citrus fruit species including national and international cultivars of mandarin like, mandarin, clementine, orange, satsuma, grapefruit, pompia, and kumquat.

Coordinator

Dr. Guy D’Hallewin
Località Palloni-Nuraxinieddu
09170 Oristano
Phone +39 0783 33224
Fax +39 0783 33959
e-mail: guy.dhallewin@ispa.cnr.it