Remembering and recognizing Dr. Adel A. Kader

A few weeks ago, Jeff Brecht, postharvest specialist and professor emeritus at the University of Florida, shared a link to the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) announcement in the WhatsApp group “Kader PH Science Community.” The announcement stated that “Dr. Adel Kader, one of the most widely known and recognized scientists worldwide in the field of postharvest biology and technology, has been named to the ASHS Hall of Fame”.

Dr. Kader conducted his research at the University of California, Davis, and his contributions, along with those of his team, marked a turning point in global postharvest science. Prioritizing research applicable to industry, he helped shape the careers of many experts. Several of the scientists who still lead or have led research groups in this area.

The Postharvest Research and Extension Center offered numerous courses on topics related to fruit and vegetable quality and published a compendium, with chapters written by the UC Davis research team, which is now being reissued under the current direction of Barbara Blanco, Co-Director of the UC Postharvest Center, in the edition of “Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops.”

Many of the scientists participating in the Kader PH Science Community expressed their affection for Dr. Kader and their agreement with this undoubtedly unanimous recognition, some sharing fond memories of a magnanimous person and a magnificent scientist. A truly endearing individual.

One of them, Giancarlo Colelli, who leads the postharvest group at the University of Foggia and chairs the “Postharvest and Quality Assurance” Division of the ISHS, the International Society of Horticultural Science, recalled that “the 11th International Conference on Controlled Research The Modified and Modified Conference, held in 2013 in Trani, Italy, was the first major scientific event on postharvest to take place shortly after Dr. Kader's passing. He was a member of the Scientific Committee and was scheduled to be one of the invited speakers. We decided to prepare this video, compiling some of the memories that colleagues and friends shared with us, and we showed it at the event's opening (it's the video below).

On the occasion of his retirement, UC Davis organized an event with local and international participation from "devotees of Adel A. Kader." At that event, Professor Kader prioritized the needs of postharvest research, a priority that remains relevant today.

For our part, Poscosecha.com and Postharvest.biz would like to join in this recognition. Our own little anecdote, which still brings tears to our eyes, was receiving congratulations for the publications of Ediciones de Horticultura on Postharvest of Vegetables (in Spanish language), starting with the first volume, dedicated to leafy vegetables and succulent tissues, followed by the volume dedicated to root vegetables, and finally the last one on fruiting vegetables. His comprehensive vision valued the work of scientists as well as that of science communicators.