Dr. Steven A. Sargent grew up in Monroe County, Michigan, the oldest of five boys. He attended Michigan State University, where he received his B.S. and M.S. in Horticulture and his Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering Technology. He began his career at the University of Florida in 1987, where he is Professor of Horticulture and Associate Department Chair. He has developed a multidisciplinary research/extension program that addresses the effects of postharvest operations from harvest through shipping on the quality and safety of high-value, fresh fruits and vegetables. Recent projects include:
1) potential for mechanical harvest of blueberry and strawberry
2) cooling efficacy for strawberry, blueberry, peach, sweetcorn, lettuce and broccoli,
3) determining the ideal harvest time for “new” potato,
4) quality aspects of mandarin orange selections from the UF breeding program,
5) postharvest handling of red-fleshed pitaya (dragon fruit),
6) reducing postharvest losses in mandarin oranges (Tanzania) and mangos (Haiti).
In addition to graduate student training, he co-teaches a graduate-level course, “Postharvest Technologies for Horticultural Crops”. He has more than 80 refereed journal articles, is past president and an Honorary Member of the Florida State Horticulture Society, and is past chair of the Postharvest Interest Group of the American Society for Horticultural Science. He was awarded Researcher of the Year in 2010 from the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association. His international activities have led to partnerships around the globe, most notably with colleagues in universities and Embrapa in Brazil, and in Tanzania.
He and his wife, Suzana, enjoy spending time with their three daughters and families.
Selected Publications:
Carnelossi, M.A.G., E.O.A. Sena, A.D. Berry and S.A. Sargent. 2019. Effect of forced-air cooling, hydrocooling, or their combination on fruit quality of two southern highbush blueberry cultivars. HortScience 54(1):136-142.
Lon Kan, E.E., S.A. Sargent, D.J. Cantliffe, A.D. Berry and N.L. Shaw. 2019. Harvest Maturity and Storage Temperature Affect Postharvest Quality of ‘Wanda’ Datil Hot Pepper Grown Under Protected Culture. HortTechnology 29(4):402-407. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH04328-19
Makani, M.N., S.A. Sargent, L. Zotarelli, D.J. Huber and C.A. Sims. 2017. Harvest Interval Has Greater Effect on Periderm Maturity and Storage Quality of Early-maturing, Tablestock Potato than Nitrogen Rate. HortScience 52:1390-1395.
Makani, M.N., S.A. Sargent, L. Zotarelli, D.J. Huber and C.A. Sims. 2015. Irrigation method and harvest time affect storage quality of two early-season, tablestock potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars. Scientia Horticulturae 197C:428-433.
Pereira, M.E.C., S.A. Sargent and D.J. Huber. 2015. Delayed and prolonged ethylene treatment alleviates firmness asynchrony enhanced by 1-methylcyclopropene exposure in Guatemalan-West Indian avocado. Postharvest Biology and Technology 108:54-60.
Sreedharan, A., O. Tokarskyy, S. Sargent and K.R. Schneider. 2015. Survival of Salmonella spp. on surface-inoculated forced-air cooled and hydrocooled intact strawberries, and in strawberry puree. Food Control 51:244-250.
Brecht, J.K., S.A. Sargent, A.A. Kader, E.J. Mitcham, F. Maul, P.E. Brecht and O. Menocal. 2014. Mango Postharvest Best Management Practices Manual (1st revision). Univ. of Fla. Horticultural Sciences Department, Gainesville. Publ. HS1185. 74 pp. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1185