Sustainable Postharvest Treatment for Fresh Green Asparagus

The overall objective is to establish a stable European - Peruvian consortium to maintain a proactive approach to quarantine pests in the EU, extending research and post-harvest treatment solutions to other pests, such as Chloridea virescens, Spodoptera ornithogalii, and Scirtothrips dorsalis. Focus will be on sustainable (physical) treatments such as temperature and low oxygen treatments. The expected impact will consist of enabling uninterrupted international trade of green asparagus by stakeholder alignment for development and  implementation of sustainable phytosanitary treatments. The project contributes in many ways to mission 4 of the Knowledge and Innovation Agenda (KIA) Agriculture-Water-Food. To mention a few: Preventing interceptions will naturally reduce food losses and waste (mission 4E, subprogram 3); (Further) development of Dutch technology/innovations and (practical) knowledge – where possible in collaboration with international/local partners (4E-1).Enabling year-round supply of healthy vegetables, gives consumers in importing countries access to sustainable and healthy products (mission 4D, subprogram 1; mission 4A, subprogram 2). Furthermore, KIA requests strategies, measures, and methods for early warning, detection, prevention, and control of severe phytosanitary threats.