The 6th International Postharvest Symposium was held in Antalya, Turkey, from 8- 12 April 2009, and was attended by more than 400 delegates from all over the world. The scientific programme reflected recent developments in field of postharvest science, divided into three sections: technology, physiology and pathology. The conference was a large event with invited speakers and workshops in addition to parallel sessions covering topics such as postharvest quality management, genomic, proteomic and metabolomic approaches to postharvest responses, and alternatives to chemicals and pest management. When my abstract was accepted for an oral presentation I was very pleased to have the opportunity to present my work at a meeting attended by the majority of the postharvest community, and to have the chance to meet with professionals from many different disciplines within that field.
My presentation entitled ‘Effect of curing at different temperatures on phytohormone and biochemical composition of onion cv. Red Baron during long-term postharvest storage’ was part of a session on changes in biochemical composition with handling, and is part of the work I am undertaking as a research fellow at the Plant Science Laboratory at Cranfield University under the supervision of Dr Leon A Terry. I also presented a poster describing work carried out as part of a PhD project with which I am involved with entitled ‘Differential effect of ethylene on sugars in UK-grown potato cultivars during storage’ by Sofia G. Foukaraki, Gemma A. Chope and Leon A. Terry. The feedback I received from experts concerning both my presentation and poster was constructive and will prove useful for my future work.
There was a wide range of topics covered in the talks and posters. These enabled me to gain a greater understanding of the field, and to discuss various approaches and issues with researchers and industry representatives alike. I was able to network with other scientists working in my area of research which raised opportunities for possible future collaborations.
Attending this conference was a beneficial experience, and I would like thank SCI for sponsoring my attendance.
Dr Gemma A Chope
Cranfield University
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