Horticulture, General Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Food Science, Plant Science
12
Scopus Publications
390
Scholar Citations
7
Scholar h-index
6
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
The Use of Chitosan- and Coconut Oil-Based Edible Coatings Enriched With Cinnamon Essential Oil for Extending Fresh Peach Quality Yuru Chang, Simon S. Riley, Xinwei Liu, Mark A. Ritenour, Tie Liu, et al. Journal of Food Science, 2026 Peach ( Prunus persica ) fruit have a short shelf life and require postharvest treatments to maintain quality. This study evaluated edible coatings using chitosan or coconut oil as carriers, with or without the cinnamon oil‐based antifungal product Cinnerate, on tree‐ripe “Big Red” peaches. Fruit physicochemical properties, ethylene production, sensory attributes, and potential phytotoxicity were assessed. Coconut oil coatings improved fruit firmness (3.6 vs. 2.2 N in the control), reduced water loss, and delayed over‐ripening by lowering ethylene production and slowing color development. Cinnerate at the label‐indicated 0.25% rate caused phytotoxicity, which was mitigated when coconut oil was used as the carrier but not with chitosan. Sensory evaluation by 118 untrained panelists showed that coconut oil coatings preserved firmness but negatively affected juiciness, flavor, texture, overall liking, and off‐flavor perception (38%–44% vs. 5%–12% in control and chitosan treatments), possibly due to excessive modification of the internal atmosphere. Chitosan coatings reduced whole‐fruit appearance liking but improved flavor perception. No significant effects of Cinnerate on aroma were observed, indicating that its cinnamon aroma dissipated within 4 days post‐application. While coconut oil shows potential as a carrier for Cinnerate, its tendency to induce hypoxia‐related off flavor highlights the need for improved application techniques. Future research should optimize coating application methods and further evaluate coating properties and antimicrobial efficacy. Practical Applications This study demonstrates that coconut oil can serve as an effective carrier for the commercial cinnamon oil‐based fungicide product Cinnerate to maintain peach firmness, delay ripening, and extend shelf life. However, excessive application of coconut oil may lead to off‐flavors, highlighting the need for optimized application methods. These findings can help the industry develop better edible coatings to extend the shelf life of peaches by inhibiting ripening and reducing decay while minimizing quality loss and consumer dissatisfaction.
Comparison of Thyme Oil Vapor and Thyme Guard Immersion on Peach Postharvest Brown Rot Control Yuru Chang, Philip F. Harmon, Mark A. Ritenour, Tie Liu, Charles A. Sims, et al. Horttechnology, 2026 Essential oils (EOs) offer a promising natural alternative to conventional postharvest fungicides, providing enhanced food safety and reduced environmental impact while minimizing the risk of pathogen resistance. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of thyme oil (TO) fumigation and Thyme Guard (TG) immersion for controlling brown rot in peaches. Peaches were subjected to TO fumigation or TG immersion at varying concentrations and durations, and their antifungal activity, phytotoxic effects, and cultivar-specific sensitivities were assessed. Both treatments effectively reduced postharvest lesion development, but excessive concentrations and prolonged exposure led to phytotoxicity, with distinctly different symptoms observed for fumigation and immersion. Notably, TO fumigation at 250 ppm for 24 hours and TG immersion at 0.5% for 30 s followed by 2-hour air drying at 24 °C provided optimal disease management while minimizing phytotoxicity. This study highlights the importance of pretesting EO concentrations for different cultivars to ensure safe and effective postharvest applications. Given its lower cost and superior industrial feasibility, immersion was identified as a more practical approach than fumigation. Future research should focus on integrating EO treatments with other postharvest technologies to enhance the consistency and efficacy of disease management strategies.
Transcriptional profiling of two muscadine grape cultivars “Carlos” and “Noble” to reveal new genes, gene regulatory networks, and pathways that involved in grape berry ripening Yuru Chang, Yogesh Kumar Ahlawat, Tongjun Gu, Ali Sarkhosh, Tie Liu Frontiers in Plant Science, 2022 In commercial fruit production, synchronized ripening and stable shelf life are important properties. The loosely clustered or non-bunching muscadine grape has unrealized potential as a disease-resistant cash crop, but requires repeated hand harvesting due to its unsynchronized or long or heterogeneous maturation period. Genomic research can be used to identify the developmental and environmental factors that control fruit ripening and postharvest quality. This study coupled the morphological, biochemical, and genetic variations between “Carlos” and “Noble” muscadine grape cultivars with RNA-sequencing analysis during berry maturation. The levels of antioxidants, anthocyanins, and titratable acids varied between the two cultivars during the ripening process. We also identified new genes, pathways, and regulatory networks that modulated berry ripening in muscadine grape. These findings may help develop a large-scale database of the genetic factors of muscadine grape ripening and postharvest profiles and allow the discovery of the factors underlying the ripeness heterogeneity at harvest. These genetic resources may allow us to combine applied and basic research methods in breeding to improve table and wine grape ripening uniformity, quality, stress tolerance, and postharvest handling and storage.
Biocontrol Potential of Essential Oils in Organic Horticulture Systems: From Farm to Fork Yuru Chang, Philip F. Harmon, Danielle D. Treadwell, Daniel Carrillo, Ali Sarkhosh, et al. Frontiers in Nutrition, 2022 In recent decades, increasing attention has been paid to food safety and organic horticulture. Thus, people are looking for natural products to manage plant diseases, pests, and weeds. Essential oils (EOs) or EO-based products are potentially promising candidates for biocontrol agents due to their safe, bioactive, biodegradable, ecologically, and economically viable properties. Born of necessity or commercial interest to satisfy market demand for natural products, this emerging technology is highly anticipated, but its application has been limited without the benefit of a thorough analysis of the scientific evidence on efficacy, scope, and mechanism of action. This review covers the uses of EOs as broad-spectrum biocontrol agents in both preharvest and postharvest systems. The known functions of EOs in suppressing fungi, bacteria, viruses, pests, and weeds are briefly summarized. Related results and possible modes of action from recent research are listed. The weaknesses of applying EOs are also discussed, such as high volatility and low stability, low water solubility, strong influence on organoleptic properties, and phytotoxic effects. Therefore, EO formulations and methods of incorporation to enhance the strengths and compensate for the shortages are outlined. This review also concludes with research directions needed to better understand and fully evaluate EOs and provides an outlook on the prospects for future applications of EOs in organic horticulture production.
Biochar improves soil physical characteristics and strengthens root architecture in Muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia L.) Yuru Chang, Lorenzo Rossi, Lincoln Zotarelli, Bin Gao, Muhammad Adnan Shahid, et al. Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture, 2021 Background Biochar is widely assumed as an effective soil amendment. It improves soil structure and fertility, thereby enhancing crop growth and development. There is still a knowledge gap in research on the beneficial impact of biochar on root growth and root architecture in perennial woody plants. Therefore, in our 14-week greenhouse study, pinewood-based biochar was applied as soil amendment for muscadine grape cultivation to investigate its effects on soil physical properties and crop root growth. Muscadine grape cv. Alachua was grown on Ultisols soil mixed with five rates of biochar on weight basis. Soil mixture properties and root attributes were determined. Results The soil bulk density decreased 40% and the total porosity increased 50% by adding 20% biochar into pure sandy soil. The soil water-holding capacity (WHC) of 20% biochar amendment soil was 1.9 times as pure as sandy soil. In addition, the incorporation of biochar did not only ameliorate soil acidity at the beginning but also increased soil pH buffering capacity, providing suitable soil pH a few months after application. Moreover, biochar induced woody plant finer roots development and significantly promoted root length, number of root forks, and crossings, while decreasing root average diameter. Conclusions Pinewood biochar significantly improved soil physical properties by moderating soil thermal properties, buffering soil pH, improving soil WHC, decreasing soil bulk density, and increasing soil porosity. In addition, biochar also strengthened the root architecture by improving root length, number of root forks, and crossings. Furthermore, roots from the amended treatment had longer root length with less average diameter than unamended roots, indicating that biochar may stimulate muscadine fine root development. The incorporation of biochar in soil enhanced woody plant root growth and development improved soil structure in sandy soils. It could potentially be a good strategy to tackle water loss, particularly in sandy soils.
Broad spectrum activities of essential oils in the lab fail to translate to blueberry disease control for organic producers in the field W Boukari, Y Chang, CB Bollenbacher, CM Belizaire, JE Oliver, ... Plant Disease , 2026 2026
Comparison of Thyme Oil Vapor and Thyme Guard Immersion on Peach Postharvest Brown Rot Control Y Chang, PF Harmon, MA Ritenour, T Liu, CA Sims, A Sarkhosh, ... HortTechnology 36 (1), 56-65 , 2026 2026
Microbial dynamics and system performance in novel decoupled aquaponics with different cultivation substrates T Li, X Wang, O Gaju, Y Shi, Y Chang, PB Brown, Z Zhu Aquaculture International 33 (8), 694 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Comparative evaluation of phytochemicals in low-chill peach, nectarine, and plum cultivars grown in Florida Y Chang, F Habibi, A Sarkhosh, J Chaparro, J Brecht HORTSCIENCE 60 (7) , 2025 2025
Effect of coconut waste and its biochar as hydroponics substrates on system performance and nitrogen transformation in aquaponics T Li, X Wang, Z Zhu, O Gaju, Y Shi, Y Chang Aquacultural Engineering 109, 102512 , 2025 2025 Citations: 6
Advances in postharvest nanotechnology: Enhancing fresh produce shelf life and quality to reduce losses and waste Y Chang, MD Ferreira, DS Correa, KBR Teodoro, FR Procopio, RP Brexo, ... Postharvest Biology and Technology 222, 113397 , 2025 2025 Citations: 14
In Vitro Antifungal Activity of White Thyme, Oregano, and Savory Oils Against Five Monilinia fructicola Isolates from the Southeastern United States Y Chang, W Boukari, SS Riley, PF Harmon, A Sarkhosh, JK Brecht Plant Health Progress 25 (3), 262-269 , 2024 2024 Citations: 8
Molecular mechanisms underlying postharvest physiology and metabolism of fruit and vegetables through multi-omics technologies F Habibi, DA Boakye, Y Chang, G Casorzo, LM Hallman, M Madison, ... Scientia Horticulturae 324, 112562 , 2024 2024 Citations: 42
Efficacy of Essential Oil for Maintaining Postharvest Quality and Reducing Decay of Peach Fruit Y Chang University of Florida , 2024 2024
Evaluating Fungal Disease Management in Blueberry Using Plant Essential Oil Products W Boukari, Y Chang, CM Belizaire, A Sarkhosh, JK Brecht, P Harmon 2023 ASHS Annual Conference , 2023 2023
Comparison of Thyme Oil Vapor and Thyme Guard® Immersion on Peach Postharvest Brown Rot Control Y Chang, A Sarkhosh, JK Brecht 2023 ASHS Annual Conference , 2023 2023
From laboratory to consumer: Evaluating fungal disease management in blueberry using plant essential oil products W Boukari, Y Chang, CM Belizaire, A Sarkosh, JK Brecht, P Harmon PHYTOPATHOLOGY 112 (11), 157-157 , 2022 2022
Transcriptional profiling of two muscadine grape cultivars “Carlos” and “Noble” to reveal new genes, gene regulatory networks, and pathways that involved in grape berry ripening Y Chang, YK Ahlawat, T Gu, A Sarkhosh, T Liu Frontiers in Plant Science 13, 949383 , 2022 2022 Citations: 5
Biocontrol potential of essential oils in organic horticulture systems: From farm to fork. Y Chang, PF Harmon, DD Treadwell, D Carrillo, A Sarkhosh, JK Brecht Frontiers in Nutrition, 1275 , 2022 2022 Citations: 130
Evaluation of Thyme Oil Vapor for Control of Postharvest Anthracnose Fruit Rot (Ripe Rot) on Blueberry Y Chang, A Sarkhodh, JK Brecht Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society 135 , 2022 2022
Thyme Oil Vapor Postharvest Treatment for Decay Control Can Cause Damage to Peach and Blueberry Fruits Y Chang, A Sarkhosh, JK Brecht 2022 ASHS Annual Conference , 2022 2022
Evaluation of Thyme Oil Vapor for Control of Postharvest Anthracnose on Blueberry Y Chang, JK Brecht, A Sarkhosh 2022 Florida State Horticultural Society Annual Conference 2022 (135) , 2022 2022
Greenhouse evaluation of pinewood biochar effects on nutrient status and physiological performance in muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia L.) Y Chang, L Rossi, L Zotarelli, B Gao, A Sarkhosh HortScience 56 (2), 277-285 , 2021 2021 Citations: 12
Biochar improves soil physical characteristics and strengthens root architecture in Muscadine grape ( Vitis rotundifolia L.) Y Chang, L Rossi, L Zotarelli, B Gao, MA Shahid, A Sarkhosh Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture 8 (1), 7 , 2021 2021 Citations: 135
Evaluation of Thyme Oil Vapor for Control of Postharvest Gray Mold on Blueberry Y Chang, A Sarkhosh, JK Brecht 2021 Florida State Horticultural Society Annual Conference 2021 (134), 174 , 2021 2021
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Biochar improves soil physical characteristics and strengthens root architecture in Muscadine grape ( Vitis rotundifolia L.) Y Chang, L Rossi, L Zotarelli, B Gao, MA Shahid, A Sarkhosh Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture 8 (1), 7 , 2021 2021 Citations: 135
Biocontrol potential of essential oils in organic horticulture systems: From farm to fork. Y Chang, PF Harmon, DD Treadwell, D Carrillo, A Sarkhosh, JK Brecht Frontiers in Nutrition, 1275 , 2022 2022 Citations: 130
Molecular mechanisms underlying postharvest physiology and metabolism of fruit and vegetables through multi-omics technologies F Habibi, DA Boakye, Y Chang, G Casorzo, LM Hallman, M Madison, ... Scientia Horticulturae 324, 112562 , 2024 2024 Citations: 42
Influence of rootstocks on fruit physical and chemical properties of peach cv. UFSun S Shahkoomahally, Y Chang, JK Brecht, JX Chaparro, A Sarkhosh Food Science & Nutrition 9 (1), 401-413 , 2021 2021 Citations: 32
Advances in postharvest nanotechnology: Enhancing fresh produce shelf life and quality to reduce losses and waste Y Chang, MD Ferreira, DS Correa, KBR Teodoro, FR Procopio, RP Brexo, ... Postharvest Biology and Technology 222, 113397 , 2025 2025 Citations: 14
Greenhouse evaluation of pinewood biochar effects on nutrient status and physiological performance in muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia L.) Y Chang, L Rossi, L Zotarelli, B Gao, A Sarkhosh HortScience 56 (2), 277-285 , 2021 2021 Citations: 12
In Vitro Antifungal Activity of White Thyme, Oregano, and Savory Oils Against Five Monilinia fructicola Isolates from the Southeastern United States Y Chang, W Boukari, SS Riley, PF Harmon, A Sarkhosh, JK Brecht Plant Health Progress 25 (3), 262-269 , 2024 2024 Citations: 8
Effect of coconut waste and its biochar as hydroponics substrates on system performance and nitrogen transformation in aquaponics T Li, X Wang, Z Zhu, O Gaju, Y Shi, Y Chang Aquacultural Engineering 109, 102512 , 2025 2025 Citations: 6
Transcriptional profiling of two muscadine grape cultivars “Carlos” and “Noble” to reveal new genes, gene regulatory networks, and pathways that involved in grape berry ripening Y Chang, YK Ahlawat, T Gu, A Sarkhosh, T Liu Frontiers in Plant Science 13, 949383 , 2022 2022 Citations: 5
Thinning Florida Peaches for Larger Fruit: HS1324, 12/2018 Y Chang, A Sarkhosh, J Brecht, PC Andersen EDIS 2019 (1) , 2019 2019 Citations: 5
Microbial dynamics and system performance in novel decoupled aquaponics with different cultivation substrates T Li, X Wang, O Gaju, Y Shi, Y Chang, PB Brown, Z Zhu Aquaculture International 33 (8), 694 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Broad spectrum activities of essential oils in the lab fail to translate to blueberry disease control for organic producers in the field W Boukari, Y Chang, CB Bollenbacher, CM Belizaire, JE Oliver, ... Plant Disease , 2026 2026
Comparison of Thyme Oil Vapor and Thyme Guard Immersion on Peach Postharvest Brown Rot Control Y Chang, PF Harmon, MA Ritenour, T Liu, CA Sims, A Sarkhosh, ... HortTechnology 36 (1), 56-65 , 2026 2026
Comparative evaluation of phytochemicals in low-chill peach, nectarine, and plum cultivars grown in Florida Y Chang, F Habibi, A Sarkhosh, J Chaparro, J Brecht HORTSCIENCE 60 (7) , 2025 2025
Efficacy of Essential Oil for Maintaining Postharvest Quality and Reducing Decay of Peach Fruit Y Chang University of Florida , 2024 2024
Evaluating Fungal Disease Management in Blueberry Using Plant Essential Oil Products W Boukari, Y Chang, CM Belizaire, A Sarkhosh, JK Brecht, P Harmon 2023 ASHS Annual Conference , 2023 2023
Comparison of Thyme Oil Vapor and Thyme Guard® Immersion on Peach Postharvest Brown Rot Control Y Chang, A Sarkhosh, JK Brecht 2023 ASHS Annual Conference , 2023 2023
From laboratory to consumer: Evaluating fungal disease management in blueberry using plant essential oil products W Boukari, Y Chang, CM Belizaire, A Sarkosh, JK Brecht, P Harmon PHYTOPATHOLOGY 112 (11), 157-157 , 2022 2022
Evaluation of Thyme Oil Vapor for Control of Postharvest Anthracnose Fruit Rot (Ripe Rot) on Blueberry Y Chang, A Sarkhodh, JK Brecht Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society 135 , 2022 2022
Thyme Oil Vapor Postharvest Treatment for Decay Control Can Cause Damage to Peach and Blueberry Fruits Y Chang, A Sarkhosh, JK Brecht 2022 ASHS Annual Conference , 2022 2022
