.
My area of research interest is in plant physiology and its relevance to the postharvest physiology, handling and storage of tropical fruits, vegetables and ornamentals.
The research program projects range from basic science to the adaptation and application of technology to the improvement of postharvest quality and handling in an integrated and systematic way. The basic research include studies on the regulation of pineapple flowering, and pineapple and papaya fruit growth and development.
We have also been involved with four genomics projects: papaya, pineapple, Asian Pear and Sacred Lotus, contributing to the sections dealing with carbohydrate metabolism and the regulation of fruit ripening.
The more applied focus is on field production approaches to improving product quality of tropical fruit and ornamentals, insect disinfestation and handling and marketing of these products. This research has lead to improvement in production practices, and the postharvest handling and marketing of these commodities. All the research is done in conjunction and with the support of local industries and individual growers, shippers and marketers.
Current Projects
▴ Analysis of the pineapple meristem transcriptome immediately after ethylene treatment to induce flowering.
▴ Evaluation of the pineapple fruit transcriptome as it relates to a seasonal flesh disorder that can lead to up to 70% fruit loss after harvest
▴ A slow ripening papaya mutants with a single QTL is being evaluate using gene expression studies, this is also related to disruption at the 25% ripe stage following some postharvest stress treatments required for marketing.
▴ Preharvest fertilization and management practices on the development and regulation of pineapple flesh translucency that is similar to water core in apples.
▴ Taro acridity requires all parts of the plant to be cooked before eating. The belief is that the crystals (raphides) in the tissue cause this itchiness. However, our research suggests that it is the proteins associate with the crystals that are tagged in our research as allergenic. The objective of this project is to develop an assay for use in plant breeding and for commercial processors
▴ An overall interest is in the evolution of fleshy fruit and fleshy fruit ripening that arose independently numerous times during angiosperm evolution.
Education
Ph.D.︱Plant Physiology, University of California, Berkeley
B.Sc.︱Agronomy, University of Sydney, Australia
Courses Taught
‣ TPSS 470 – Introduction to Plant Physiology
‣ TPSS 470L – Introduction to Plant Physiology Laboratory
‣ TPSS 473 – Postharvest Physiology and Handling
Membership and Service
American Society for Horticultural Sciences
International Society for Horticultural Science
American Society for Plant Biology
Editorial Advisory Board – Scientia Horticulturae (1990 to present)
Associate Editor, Tropical Plant Biology (2006 to present)
Awards and Honors
US Department of Agriculture, Superior Service Honor Award (1992)
Hawaii Visitors Bureau, Kuhina Recognition Awards (2001)
Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers Association Certificate of Appreciation (2012)
SE Asia – Vientiane, Lao Special Recognition for Excellent Contribution to Global Postharvest Horticulture (2013)
International Society for Horticultural Science Fellow (2014)
American Society for Horticultural Science Fellow (2014)
College Award for Excellence in Research, CTAHR, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (2008, 2019)
Publications
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=6_XAQ6gAAAAJ
Books & Edited Volumes
Kays, S.J. and Paull, R.E. (2004). Postharvest Biology. Athens, Georgia: Exon Press. http://hdl.handle.net/10125/65829
Paull, R.E. and Duarte, O. (2011). Tropical Fruit. Wallingford, England: CAB International, https://doi.org/10.1079/9781845936723.0000
Paull, R.E. and Duarte, O. (2012). Tropical Fruit – Volume II. Wallingford, England: CAB International, p. 384. https://doi.org/10.1079/9781845937898.0000
Duarte, O. and Paull, R.E. (2015). Exotic Fruits and Nuts of the New World. Wallingford, England: CAB International, p. 342. https://doi.org/10.1079/9781780645056.0000
Janick, J. and Paull, R.E. eds. (2008). The Encyclopedia of Fruits and Nuts. Wallingford, United Kingdom: CABI Publishing, pp. 954. https://doi.org/10.1079/9780851996387.0000
Lobo, M.G. and Paull, R.E. eds. (2017). Handbook of Pineapple Technology. Production, postharvest science, processing and nutrition. West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley Blackwell, pp. 263. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118967355
Sanewski, G.M., Bartholomew, D.P. and Paull, R.E. eds. (2018). The Pineapple. 2nd Edition Botany, Production and Uses. United Kingdom: CABI, pp. 336. http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/9780851995038.0000
Recent Publications (Selected)
Paull, R. E., G. Uruu and N. J. Chen. 2020. Rapid Field Assay for Pineapple Fruit Acidity. HortTechnology 30, 593-596. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH04664-20
Hobbs, J., P. Prakash, R. Paull, H. Hovhannisyan, B. Markowicz, and G. Rose. 2021. Large-Scale Pineapple Flower Counting through Deep Density-Estimation. Frontiers in Plant Science. 11, article #2157. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.599705
Zhou, Lili, Maria Eloisa Q. Reyes, and Robert E. Paull. 2020. Papaya (Carica papaya L.) leaf area estimation and single-leaf net photosynthetic CO2 assimilation rate following leaf defoliation and fruit thinning. HortScience 55, 1861-1864. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI15345-20
Murai, Kana, Nancy Jung Chen and Robert E. Paull 2021. Pineapple Crown and Slip Removal on Fruit Quality and Translucency. Scientia Horticulturae 283, 110087. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2021.110087
Paull, R.E. and Chen, N.J. (2020). Tropical fruit genomes and postharvest technologies. Acta Hortic. 1299, 113-122 https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2020.1299.18
Paull, Robert E., and Gail Uruu. 2020. Reducing Moringa Leaflet Abscission After Irradiation and During Shipping. HortTechnology 31, 74-76. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH04738-20
Yue J-J, R. VanBuren , J. Liu , JP Fang, XT. Zhang , ZY Liao , CM. Wai , XM. Xu , S Chen, SC. Zhang, XK. Ma , YY. Ma , HY. Yu , J. Lin , P. Zhou, YJ Huang, B. Deng, F. Deng, XB. Zhao, HS. Yan, M. Fatima, D. Zerpa, XD. Zhang , ZC. Lin, M. Yang, N. Chen, E. Mora-Newcomer, P. Quesada-Rojas, DA. Bogantes, V. Jiménez, HB. Tang, JS. Zhang, ML. Wang , RE. Paull, QY. Yu. 2022. SunUp and Sunset genomes revealed impact of particle bombardment mediated transformation and domestication history in papaya. Nature Genetics 54:715-724. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-022-01068-1
Leal, F., & Paull, R. E. (2023). The genus Annona: Botanical Characteristics, Horticultural Requirements and Uses. Crop Science 63, 1030 – 1049. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20833
Freddy Leal and Robert E. Paull. 2022. The Soursop (Annona muricata): Botany, Horticulture and Utilization. Crop Science, 63, 362–389. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20894
Paull, R. E., Zerpa-Catanho, D., Chen, N. J., Uruu, G., Wai, C. M. J., & Kantar, M. (2022). Taro raphide-associated proteins: Allergens and crystal growth. Plant Direct, 6(9), e443. https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.443
Paull, R. E., B. Wiseman, G. Uruu. 2022. Pineapple Field Establishment Using Slips. HortScience. 57 (12) 1540-1546 https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI16877-22
Benjamin J. Wiseman, Robert E. Paull, Noa K. Lincoln and M. Wall. 2023. 1-methylcyclopropene and Harvest Maturity Impact ‘Ma’afala’ Breadfruit Postharvest Storage. HortScience 58 (6) 666-670. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI17076-23
Robert E. Paull, Najla Ksouri, Michael Kantar, Dessireé Zerpa-Catanho, Nancy Jung Chen, Gail Uruu, Jingjing Yue, Shiyong Guo, Yun Zheng, Ching Man Jennifer Wai, Ray Ming. 2023. Differential Gene Expression During Floral Transition in Pineapple. Plant Direct 7(11), e541. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pld3.541
Wiseman, Ben, Nancy J. Chen, Nao Lincoln and Robert E. Paull. 2021. ‘Ulu – Breadfruit Postharvest Handling and Quality Maintenance Guidelines. University of Hawaii at Manoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. Fruit, Nut, and Beverage Crops, FN-58. https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/FN-58.pdf
Paull, Robert E. and Gail Uruu. 2021. Major Weeds in Pineapple Fields of Hawai’i. University of Hawaii at Manoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. Fruit, Nut, and Beverage Crops, FN-60. https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/FN-60.pdf
Kirk, E., K. Tavares, T. Radovich, K. Flanagan, J.P. Bingham, J. Calpito, S. Wages, A. Ahmad, J. Uyeda, R. E. Paull, J. Silva, E. Collier, J. Sugano. 2023. Hawai’i Turmeric Production Guidelines. Fruit, Nut, Beverage Crops VC-9. https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/VC-9.pdf
Uyeda, J., K. Tavares, R. E. Paull, S. Wages & L. Baligad. 2022. Garlic Production Guidelines for Hawai’i. University of Hawaii at Manoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Vegetables and Root Crops VC-8, https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/VC-8.pdf
Wiseman, B. R. Paull, N. Lincoln & M. Wall. 2023. Ma’afala Breadfruit: When to Harvest? University of Hawaii at Manoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. Fruit, Nut, and Beverage Crops, FN-66. https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/FN-66.pdf
Robert E. Paull
Professor ︱ Researcher
Contact Information
paull@hawaii.edu
808-956-7369
Fax: 808-956-3894
St. John Room 516
3190 Maile Way,
Honolulu, HI
More Information
Graduate Faculty
ORCID