Researchers from the Postharvest Horticulture Training and Research Center (PHTRC) bagged the top prize in the Best Poster (Overall) Category during the 5th UPREPSS Annual Scientific Conference and 9th General Assembly Meeting held at the Shercon Resort, Mataas na Kahoy, Batangas. The poster, authored by Dr. Dormita R. del Carmen, Dr. Elda B. Esguerra, and Arjay A. Gerance bested 19 other competing entries from different research units of UPLB.
Titled “Understanding Consumer’s Buying Behavior and Preferences for Soursop (Guayabano),” the winning poster highlighted the health and nutritional reasons for buying the fruit; choice of wet market as source; preference for size, taste, shape and peel quality; and the attendant need for quality improvement to ensure consumer satisfaction. The winning entry was based on the results of a consumer preference survey in the National Capital Region and Region IV-A under a three-year research project titled “Quality Systems Improvement of Dragon Fruit, Soursop (“Guayabano”) and Apple Guava Through Value Chain Analysis and Management,” which is funded by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research. It was a sweet and big win for the PHTRC research team as it was the first time of Gerance, a university research associate, to attend a scientific conference and present a research poster. (MV Maunahan)