Denver, Co – “Phytochemicals, Post-Production and Human Health: The Next Chapter: 2021 Agricultural Research Service Benjamin E. Morrison’s theme at the Penelope Perkins-Veezi Annual Meeting of American Horticultural Sciences.
Half of all fruits and vegetables are never consumed, which has a negative impact on natural resources, economic recovery, and human health. According to Perkins-Veezi, we recognize that maintaining a high quality of produce is becoming an important part of our diet of fruits and vegetables.
Perkins-Veezi is known around the world for its in-depth research on how fruit and vegetable storage during post-harvest time changes their diet and fitness profile. Her work includes assessing the impact of genetic traits, production systems, and post-harvest storage on nutrition and marketing behavior. She also developed storage methods that helped extend product storage time.
Her discoveries have helped to create new markets and production opportunities for a wide variety of crops, including radishio, turnip, okra, buttut squash, blackberries, strawberries and musadadin.
Melon Nutrition Benefits Perkins-Veezi is a well-known area. She proved that watermelon contains as much lycopene as tomatoes. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that promotes cardiovascular health and protects against certain cancers. She also showed that the content of watermelon lycopene affects genetics, irrigation and post-harvest production. These efforts have helped transform the melon profile primarily from a sweet food to significant health benefits, which has greatly increased market demand for producers and consumers.
Perkins-Veezi is currently a professor of horticultural science at North Carolina State University. Among her honors and awards, she has been selected as a member of the American Association of Horticultural Sciences (ASHS), received the ASHS Excellence Researcher Award and the ASHS Excellence Paper Prize: and has served as President of SSS, Southern Region. She is the Editor of the American Pomology Society and serves on the Board of Editors for Post Production and Biotechnology.
RS established the Ben Morrison Memorial School, identifying scientists who have made significant contributions to horticulture. Morrison was the first director of the USAA National Arbor in Washington, DC. A scientist, botanist, landscape architect, botanist, author and teacher, Morrison promoted plant and horticultural science in the United States. Her legacy to the American people includes dozens of new ornamental plants, including Glen Dale Azaleian. More information about the BA Morrison Memorial is available at https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/lectures/morrison/.
The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s leading scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting the United States. Each dollar invested in agricultural research is worth $ 17 million.