Division of Post-harvest Technology

Background

Post-harvest Technology deals with Post-Harvest management and value addition of horticultural and arable crops. This division is envisaged to serve as an excellent coordination among research, teaching and extension activities under one umbrella. This division helps to reduce the food losses, add value to primary produce, promote codex standards of food safety and modernize all links in the production-consumption-commerce of the value chain. This division primarily focus on Post-Harvest valorization of agricultural produce to increase the farm income, promote the entrepreneurship development through food processing, generate employment opportunities and promote both domestic and export trade.

Objectives

1. Reduction of postharvest losses of food grains viz. Paddy and Pulses through improved postharvest technologies with respect to harvesting, threshing, drying, milling, packaging, storage and other postharvest operations
2. Extending the marketability of horticultural produce through appropriate postharvest handling and processing for better income.
3. Capacity building through human resource development on Post-Harvest Technology through M.Sc Ph.D. level research and academic programme
4. Entrepreneurship development through short-term training courses on Food Engineering and Technology and Post-Harvest Technology

Structure of the Division

The division conducts research with multi-disciplinary faculty involving scientists from the Plan Breeding, Horticulture (Post Harvest), Agricultural Engineering, Microbiology and Biochemistry and Post Graduate teaching programme on Food Engineering and Post-Harvest Technology with specializations in the fields of:

1. Postharvest Horticulture
2. Postharvest Engineering
3. Quality Evaluation (Common Facility)

Teaching program

Postgraduate Courses

Food Engineering and Technology

Note:

*Core Course at M.Agr.Sc.

** Core Course at Ph.D.

Minor Subjects: Horticulture/Plant Physiology & Biochemistry

Research Focus Area

1. Food extrusion technology
2. Food preservation
3. Milling and processing of cereals, pulses and oil seed crops
4. Storage engineering for cereals and pulses
5. Post-harvest management of horticultural crops

M.Sc Thesis Research

• Development of protein rich corn. Based functional extruded snack. (2019)
• Development of brown rice. Based protein-rich extruded snack. (2019)
• Study on different drying methods of red chilli (Capsicum annuumm L.) (2019)
• Effect of degree of milling on rice quality (Oryza sativa L.) (2019)
• Development of ready-to-eat Crunchy Soy Nut. (2019)
• Effect of ethrel treatment on ripening and postharvest quality of mango. (Mangifera indica L.) (2019)
• Iron Enrichment of Milled Rice by Infusion Technique (Oryza sativa L.) (2020)
• Studies on Artificial Ripening Treatment on Postharvest Quality of Phe Gyan Banana. (2020)
• Utilization of Low Grade Milled Rice for Development of Protein and Lycopene Rich Pasta. (2020)
• Processing of Toddy Palm Juice. (2020)
• Studies on Controlled Atmosphere Storage and Ripening of Mango (Mangifera Indica L.) (2020)
• Effect of pre-treatments and drying methods on nutritional and sensory quality of dried Elephant Foot Yam chips. (2020)

Ph.D Thesis Research

• Effect of Paddy Parboiling Conditions on Physicochemical Properties of Rice (cv. Sin Thwe Latt) (2019)
• Effects of Harvest Maturities, Vapour Heat Treatments and Storage Temperatures on Postharvest Quality of Sein Ta Lone Mango (Mangifera indica L.) (2019)
• Effects of Packaging Materials and Citric Acid Treatment with Storage Temperature on Postharvest Quality and Preservation of Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) (2019)
• Development of Corn Based Protein and Iron Rich Extruded Breakfast Cereal. (2019)
• Investigation of Decaffeinated Coffee Powder Using Supercritical Fluid. (2019)
• Development of protein and vitamin A rich sorghum- based extruded snack. (2019)
• Development of Protein and Beta Carotene Rich Wheat Based Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Snack. (2019)
• Development of brown rice based noodles enriched with protein and beta-carotene. (2019)
• Parboiling of paddy c.v Manawthukha. (2020)
• Development of Quality Assurance Protocol of Cauliflower with Particular Reference to Pesticide Residues. (2020)
• Technology for Production of Virgin Coconut Oil using Super Critical Carbon Dioxide Extraction. (2020)
• Investigation on HACCP of aflatoxin B1 contamination from Groundnut Oil in Myanmar. (2020)