Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

Seminar: Development of a Watermelon Biorefinery

 

Dr. Dani Bellmer
Oklahoma State
will present a seminar entitled
"Development of a Watermelon Biorefinery"

Davidson 110
Thursday, November 2
noon to 1PM 

Dr. Bellmer received her BS and MS from Michigan State university in
Agricultural Engineering with an emphasis on Food Engineering.   She received a Ph.D from Purdue in Agricultural and Biological Engineering.   Dr. Bellmer has been a professor at OSU since 1997 performing research on topics ranging from creating value added products from Watermelon to Enzymatic degradation of Cellulose and Development of Peanut Butter slices. Research interests include Biomass, Biorefinery, Heat and Mass Transfer, and Value-Added Food Processing.

Abstract:

Watermelon has been reported as the leading U.S. melon crop based on production, per capita consumption, and planted area.  Unfortunately, each year a significant number of second-class melons are left in the field, representing a large volume of waste and untapped potential income for watermelon growers.
In some cases, the unharvested acreage can represent 30% of the watermelon crop.

In addition, as seedless melons become the predominant type marketed in the U.S., the seeded pollinators, which are typically planted in a 1:3 or 1:4 ratio with the desired seedless type, are left wasted in the field.  It is our long-term goal to develop a watermelon ‘biorefinery’, where watermelon would be harvested and processed into several different value-added products, utilizing the total watermelon biomass.  This seminar will highlight research involving potential products from each of the watermelon components, including the flesh, rind, and seeds.  Projects highlighted will include extraction of pectin from the rind, development of a dried watermelon candy, and evaluation of watermelon seed flour.  While any one of the above-mentioned products will not likely make watermelon processing an economic venture, an array of different products might.

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