Dr. Mark Ritenour

Professor, Postharvest Technology

Dr. Mark Ritenour joined the IRREC Faculty in 1998. His extension and research programs focus on the postharvest biology and handling of horticultural commodities (especially citrus). Dr. Ritenour's focus areas include: improving quality of fresh market citrus and vegetables through improved postharvest handling; improving postharvest sanitation and food safety practices of Florida's packinghouses; and improving postharvest quality of horticultural crops through better preharvest management practices.

• Research

  Horticultural Science--Postharvest Technology

  Dr. Mark Ritenour's extension and research programs focus on the postharvest biology and handling of fresh horticultural commodities (especially citrus).

  Dr. Ritenour's focus areas include: improving quality of fresh market citrus and vegetables through improved postharvest handling; improving postharvest sanitation and food safety practices of Florida's packinghouses; improving postharvest quality of horticultural crops through better preharvest management practices; and in general maintaining market access of fresh citrus by monitoring and education of key regulatory aspects.

• Extension

  Horticultural Science/Postharvest Technology

  Dr. Ritenour specializes in training of optimum postharvest handling practices of fresh fruits and vegetables (primarily citrus). He works to improve pre- and postharvest practices to maximize fresh fruit quality and provides information to help maximize product arrival quality and ways to overcome potential market barriers, both domestic and international.

  As part of his statewide leadership, Dr. Ritenour coordinates the annual Packinghouse Day, and other training events. He is also active in developing and providing grower/packer/shipper training in food hygiene practices that assure consumers safe fruits and vegetables.

  Dr. Ritenour created and maintains the UF Postharvest Resources Website (http://irrec.ifas.ufl.edu/postharvest/) on which users may find a regularly updated listing of citrus maximum residue limits for domestic and important export markets. Other website-specific resources include links to key domestic and international websites that provide much of the source data.

• Teaching

  Postharvest Physiology and Handling

  Dr. Mark Ritenour co-teaches Principles of Postharvest Horticulture (HOS 5085C) and Postharvest Technologies for Horticultural Crops (HOS 5330).

  He supervises graduate students who are conducting research as they pursue both master's and doctoral degrees.

• Education
  • Ph.D., Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, 1995
  • M.S., Vegetable Crops, University of California, Davis, 1991
  • B.A., Botany, California State University, Fresno, 1989
• Publications
  • Research: Google Scholar
  • Extension: EDIS
• Awards and Service
  • FSHS President’s Industry Award co-author for the best paper given at the Florida State Horticultural Society annual meetings by an industry author for: Nancy E. Roe and Mark A. Ritenour. 2010. Postharvest qualities and nutrient content of vegetable crops grown with or without compost. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 123:141-146.
  • Recipient of a $2,000.00 Travel Award for an October 2008 trip to China to present a paper at the 11th International Citrus Congress.
  • Recipient of a $666.00 UF/IFAS International Programs Travel Award for an April 2008 trip to Argentina with FL industry leaders to view production and postharvest procedures preventing the export of fruit with canker symptoms.
  • The American Society for Horticultural Sciences Outstanding Extension Publication Award – 2005 Outstanding Video Award. Worker Health and Hygiene Training Manual for Florida Produce Industry. Authors: Amy Simonne, Jeffrey K. Brecht, Mark A. Ritenour, Steven A. Sargent, Keith Schneider, Bill Kelsey and Al Williamson
  • Blue Ribbon in the Publications - Manuals and Workbookscategory. 2003. American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE). For "Water and Florida Citrus: Use, Regulation, Irrigation, Systems, and Management"(SP281).
  • UF/IFAS University Term Professorship award. 2018
  • UF/IFAS Superior Accomplishment Award – Faculty Category. 2018.
  • Florida State Horticultural Society President Elect (2016), President (2017), Board Chair (2018)
  • 2020 FSHS Best Paper Award in the Handling and Processing Section. 2019 Proceedings: Optimizing Essential Oil Applications to Prevent Postharvest Decay In Strawberries Anna Marín, Xiuxiu Sun, Marcela Miranda, Chris Ference, Elizabeth Baldwin, Jinhe Bai, Mark A. Ritenour, Jiuxu Zhang, and Anne Plotto