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Dr. Jeffrey K. Brecht

Research Foundation Professor

Mailing Address:
Fifield Hall
2550 Hull Road
PO Box 110690
Gainesville, Florida 32611

Office: 1217 Fifield Hall
Phone: (352) 273-4778
Fax : (352) 392-5653
E-mail: jkbrecht@ufl.edu

  • Areas of Research
    • Postharvest Physiology
  • Teaching Responsibilities
    • HOS 4332C (Principles of Postharvest Horticulture)
    • HOS 5085C (Principles of Postharvest Horticulture)
    • HOS 6331 (Postharvest Biology)
  • Educational Background
    • Ph.D., University of California, Davis, CA (1984)
    • B.S., Whittier College, Whittier, CA (1979)
  • Extension Program
    • Demonstrating the effects of postharvest procedures on maintenance of product quality
    • Extension of postharvest information through presentations at extension and industry meetings
  • Work Experience
    • University of Florida Research Foundation Professor, Postharvest Physiology and Horticulture, Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida (2002-05 and 2008-11)
    • Professor, Postharvest Physiology and Horticulture, Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida (1995 to present)
    • Associate Professor, Postharvest Physiology and Horticulture, Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida (1989 to 1995)
    • Assistant Professor, Postharvest Physiology and Horticulture, Vegetable Crops Department, University of Florida (1984 to 1989)
  • International Experience
    • Invited keynote speaker at conferences in Brazil (2019), China (2014, 2019), Italy (2019), Mexico (2019)
    • Visiting Professor, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, China (2016)
    • National Mango Board – August 2013-May 2017. Managing a multi-institution, multi-country project to determine the cause of the fruit disorder, corte negro, in collaboration with the mango exporters associations, FME (Ecuador) and APEM (Peru).
    • USAID Hort CRSP – July 2013-August 2014. Developing postharvest outreach and education materials for fruit & vegetable producers in Central America that target audiences at different levels of knowledge from subsistence to commercial producers and college students.
    • National Mango Board Outreach Programs in Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Mexico, and Peru; 2011-19.
  • Honors and Awards
    • Honorary Member of the Florida State Horticultural Society, 2014
    • University of Florida Research Foundation Professor, 2008 (previously named in 2002)
    • Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science, 2006.
    • Outstanding Extension Materials Award, Video Category, ASHS, 2006, for "Worker Health and Hygiene Training Manual for Florida Produce Industry."
  • Program Personnel
    • Moshe Doron, Senior Biologist
    • Craig Frey, Doctor of Plant Medicine Graduate Student
    • Faisal Shahzad, Ph.D. Graduate Student
    • Lan-yen Chang, Ph.D. Graduate Student
    • Tian Gong, Ph.D. Graduate Student

Selected Publications

(See also: Google Scholar)

AuthorsYearTitle / DescriptionPublication
Xie, Y., J.K. Brecht, C.E. Abrahan, E.R. Bornhorst, Y. Luo, A.L. Monge, K. Vorst, and W. Brown 2021 Improving temperature management and retaining quality of freshcut leafy greens by retrofitting open refrigerated retail display cases with doors. J. Food Eng. 292, 110271. DOI: 10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2020.110271
Baldwin, E.A. and J.K. Brecht 2020 Advances in the use of barrier coatings and additives in the preservation of fresh horticultural produce. p. 91-115. In: C. Watkins (ed.). Advances in Postharvest Management of Horticultural Produce. Burleigh Dodds, Cambridge, U.K.
Boz, Z., B.A. Welt, J. Canter, J.K. Brecht, and W. Pelletier 2020 Comparing steady state to unsteady state respiration rate measurement methods for design of modified atmosphere packaging of grape tomatoes and blueberries with microperforations. J. Food Sci. 85:1997-2003. DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.15177
Brecht, J.K., E. Pliakoni, and K. Batziakias 2020 The impact of temperature on atmosphere requirements and effects: The limits of design and utility for CA/MA/MAP. p. 147-166. In: R. Beaudry and M.I. Gil (eds.). Controlled and Modified Atmospheres for Fresh and Fresh-Cut Produce. Academic.
Brecht, J.K., I. Uysal, M. C. N. Nunes, J. P. Emond, S. Mercier, and U. McCarthy 2020 Smart distribution to maintain shelf-life of horticultural produce. p. 409-432. In: C. Watkins (ed.). Advances in Postharvest Management of Horticultural Produce. Burleigh Dodds, Cambridge, U.K.
Chang, L.-Y. and J.K. Brecht 2020 Variation among strawberry cultivars in bruising susceptibility related to wound ethylene production and sensitivity. HortScience 55:444-448. DOI: 10.21273/HORTSCI14733-19
Loayza, F.E., J.K. Brecht, A.H. Simonne, A. Plotto, E.A. Baldwin, J. Bai, E. Lon-Kan 2020 A brief hot-water treatment alleviates chilling injury symptms in fresh tomatoes. J. Sci. Food. Agric. DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.10821
Loayza, F.E., J.K. Brecht, A.H. Simonne, A. Plotto, E.A. Baldwin, J. Bai, E. Lon-Kan 2020 Synergy between hot water treatment and high temperature ethylene treatment in promioting antioxidants in mature-green tomatoes. Postharvest Biol. Technol. 170, 111314. DOI: 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2020.111314
Loayza, F.E., J.K. Brecht, A.H. Simonne, A. Plotto, E.A. Baldwin, J. Bai, E. Lon-Kan 2020 Enhancement of the antioxidant capacity of ripe tomatoes by the application of a hot water treatment at the mature-green stage. Postharvest Biol. Technol. 161, 111054. DOI: 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2019.111054
Rubio Ames, Z., J.K. Brecht, and M.A. Olmstead 2020 Nitrogen fertilization rates in a subtropical peach orchard: Effects on tree vigor and fruit quality. J. Sci. Food Agric. 100:527-539. DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.10031
Brecht, J.K. (ed.) 2019 Protecting Perishable Foods During Transport by Truck or Rail. University of Florida and USDA AMS, Gainesville, Fla., HS1328. 204 p.
Mercier, S., J.K. Brecht, and I. Uysal 2019 Commercial forced-air precooling of strawberries: a temperature distribution and correlation study. J. Food Eng. 242:47-54.
Wang, L., E.A. Baldwin, W. Luo, W. Zhao, J. Brecht, and J. Bai. 2019 Key tomato volatile compounds during postharvest ripening in response to chilling and pre-chilling heat treatments. Postharv. Biol. Technol. 154:11-20.
Boz, Z., B.A. Welt, J.K. Brecht, W. Pelletier, E. McLamore, G.A. Kiker, and J.E. Butler 2018 Review of challenges and advances in modification of food package headspace gases. J. Applied Packaging Res. 10:62-97.
Chowdhury, M.G.F, J.K. Brecht, M.A. Ritenour, and C.A. Sims 2018 Improving postharvest quality retention of oranges during ambient storage using hot water immersion and fruit coating: the role of internal modified atmosphere. Acta Hort. 1194: 313-320 (VIII Intl. Postharvest Symp.)
A.I. Deltsidis, C.A. Sims, and J.K. Brecht 2018 Ripening recovery and sensory quality of pink tomatoes stored in controlled atmosphere at chilling or non-chilling temperatures to extend shelf life. HortScience 53:1186-1190  
Pelletier, W., K.V. Chau, R.A. Bucklin, J.K. Brecht, D.W. Hahn, and J.-P. Émond 2018 Analysis of air cargo temperature variations during transport operations. Trans. ASABE 61:723-732.
Liu, Q., X. Zhao, J.K. Brecht, C.A. Sims, T. Sanchez, and N.S. Dufault 2017 Fruit quality of seedless watermelon grafted onto squash rootstocks under different production systems. J. Sci. Food Agric. 97:4704-4711.
Brecht, J.K., M.C.N. Nunes, J.P. Émond, I. Uysal, J. Wells, and J. Saenz 2016 Reducing strawberry waste and losses in the postharvest supply chain via intelligent distribution management. Acta Hort. 1120:253-259 (XXIX Intl. Horticultural Congress)
Tsouvaltzis, P. and J.K. Brecht 2016 Inhibition of enzymatic browning of fresh-cut potato by immersion in citric acid is not solely due to pH reduction of the solution. J. Food Proc. Pres. 41(2), DOI: 10.1111/jfpp.12829.