Laboratory results confirm that "smart," algorithmically-guided sequencing and combinations of produce treatments can extend shelf-life dramatically
The researchers of MIGAL Galilee Research Institute (MIGAL), a regional mega-R&D center supported by Israel's Ministry of Science and Technology, have more than quadrupled the postharvest life of cucumbers – from two to nine weeks – using a "smart" sequential treatment protocol suggested by its innovative AI (Artificial Intelligence)-based algorithms.
The study, "Algorithmically-guided postharvest protocols by experimental combinatorial optimization," was carried out over 18 months by MIGAL's Postharvest Innovation Center under the leadership of Prof. Ofer Shir, an Associate Professor of Computer Science at MIGAL and Tel-Hai College, and Dr. Dan Gamrasni, Postharvest Research Associate at MIGAL and Tel-Hai College.
"It is shocking that a full third of produce grown today is wasted, compounding the damage created by climate change, urbanization, and other threats," commented Dr. Gamrasni. "Our aim is to enable farmers to fight back, reducing waste across the global food supply chain while enhancing the efficiency of their agricultural processes and resources."
Prof. Shir continued, "In launching this project, we hypothesized that 'smart', algorithmically-guided combination and sequencing of existing produce treatments could multiply their preservation effect, extending post-harvest fruit and vegetable shelf-life. The results we achieved were even better than we had expected: our protocols quadrupled the shelf-life of cucumbers, keeping them fresh for a full nine weeks."
The MIGAL team's algorithms used an AI system to investigate the combinatorial search space of postharvest cucumber treatment models, learning the fruit's response to variations in timings, ordering, and activation levels of certain operations. At the end of the process, a single multi-stage treatment protocol was selected for testing in MIGAL's fields and laboratories.
The product selected for the experiment was the cucumber, a sensitive fruit with a postharvest storage lifespan of less than two weeks. Immediately after harvest, cucumbers were transported to the laboratory, weighed, treated, and stored for four weeks in accordance with the protocol suggested by the AI system. At the end of this period, it was determined that the fruit's weight, color, crispness, and other qualities had undergone minimal change, and they were stored again for an additional 5 weeks. The final evaluation demonstrated a continued marketable level of quality
Prof. Shir continued, "These results confirm that 'smart' sequencing of multiple treatments can dramatically extend produce shelf life as compared with the protocols in use today. We know of no other project that has achieved such an impressive result, and are eager to share our knowledge."
David Zigdon, MIGAL's CEO, added, "The research being carried out by Prof. Shir and Dr. Gamrasni is an important step forward towards solving nutritional security, one of the modern world's most significant challenges. Given the impact of climate change and urbanization on the world's arable land and water resources, it is tragic that more than a third of the produce grown worldwide is wasted. MIGAL's innovative use of AI will help farmers throughout the world increase production, minimize costs and reduce waste. The positive impact will be felt throughout agriculture."
This research project has been supported by Israel's Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology from its general grant to the MIGAL Research Institute and from postdoctoral financing allocated to this subject. Recently, the researchers received an additional grant from Israel's Office of Agriculture to extend and accelerate the research.
Source: Israel Agri