Inside the mind of a postharvest expert

For nearly a decade, Margarito has supported citrus packinghouses across California's Northern Valley. With degrees in plant science and agronomy, and certifications as a Pest Control Advisor in both California and Arizona, he brings a rare blend of academic grounding and in-field practical know-how. His approach is methodical, preventative, and deeply hands-on.

"You have to understand the fruit, the equipment, the weather-all of it. Every piece affects the outcome," he says. "You can't just drop in, look around, and give advice. You have to know the operation."

Below are just a few of the principles and practices that guide Margarito's work. These insights offer a window into what real technical expertise looks like behind the scenes in citrus postharvest operations.

1. You Can't Manage What You Don't Measure

One of the first things Margarito learned on the job was that data beats assumptions. In his early years, he relied heavily on spore assays. Exposing Petri dishes at critical points on the line, incubating them, allowed him to interpret what types of decay-causing organisms were present.

"It tells you a lot. Not just if the packing house is clean, but whether your fungicide program is still working," he says. "If we see resistant spores, we can switch up the mode of action before it becomes a problem."

Today, he still uses these assays, but supplements them with wax residue tests, fungicide concentration checks, and even green mold inoculation trials. Testing how real fruit behaves under different treatment setups.

"It's easy to say a product should work. But when you test it in your customer's actual system with their fruit, their water, their timing-that's when you know."

2. Technical Knowledge is Useless if You Can't Apply It on the Line

Margarito's education gave him a solid foundation in microbiology, chemistry, and plant physiology. But he's quick to point out that postharvest success lives on the floor, not in a lab.

He spends much of his time walking the line: inspecting brush speeds, checking wax coverage, feeling the fruit, observing the dryer's performance.

"You'd be surprised how many problems start with something small like a misaligned nozzle, poor water elimination before wax, or fruit getting injured at a transition point," he explains.

In one recent case, a customer couldn't figure out why decay rates were rising. Margarito ran a dye injury test and discovered a metal plate was bruising the fruit before treatment. A simple fix brought decay back under control without the need to overhaul the fungicide program.

"You don't guess. You observe. You rule things out one at a time. And you get your hands dirty if you need to."

Martin Guzman, Manager at Bee Sweet Citrus, echoed this impact: "Margarito brought a lot to Bee Sweet with his reports to let us know what problems can happen if we don't make the right application"

3. Relationships Matter More Than Reports

It took Margarito years to build the kind of trust that makes his advice matter. Early on, he noticed some customers were skeptical, not out of rudeness, but because they'd seen vendors come and go.

So he changed how he approached his role: showing up consistently, checking in during the off-season, and learning everyone's name, from forklift operators to QA managers.

"Trust comes from being there. And from being honest, even when what you're telling them isn't easy to hear."

He recalls one customer who was difficult to reach. Rather than pushing, Margarito started sending weekly audit summaries. Eventually, that customer began calling him regularly to ask for recommendations, not because he had to, but because he wanted to.

"Once they see that you care about their fruit like it's your own, that's when they start listening."
Don't just take it from us, "You can trust Margarito highly on this type of work that he does", says Martin Guzman, Manager at Bee Sweet Cirtus. "He's an excellent communicator, a teacher who doesn't lose control of the situation."

4. Training is Just as Important as Treatment

In facilities with rotating seasonal labor, even the best treatment plans can fall apart if the crew doesn't understand the basics: how to mix fungicide, when to replace brushes, how to clean equipment safely.

Margarito runs bilingual training courses for line workers and supervisors. He aims to explain not just what to do, but why it matters.

"Sometimes it's the smallest misunderstanding that causes the biggest issue. One person overmixes a tank, or skips a cleaning step, and suddenly your whole program's off."

He doesn't lecture. He walks the line with them. Shows them residue results. Points out weak spots and teaches simple checks to prevent future problems.

"If the team understands the why, they'll do the what more consistently."

5. Prevention is Always Cheaper Than Reaction

When our customer's fruit needs additional crop protection products, this decision is not taken lightly. The decision is made with our customer's best interest in mind.

He's seen it happen: A decision to cut back on product or maintenance leads to decay outbreaks, shipment losses, or even market reputation damage, especially in sensitive export lanes.

"When fruit shows up in Japan with rot, you don't just lose that order. You lose trust. And you may not get it back."

That's why Margarito always takes a long view. If a fungicide level seems low, he'll recommend adjusting it, even if it means more of an upfront cost. If the water pH is drifting, he'll flag it. If the wax coverage isn't even, he will make adjustments until the application is correct.

It's about protecting the fruit, and the brand, before it's at risk.
"He helps and lets us know whenever we have any questions, to help us better understand the application," says Martin Guzman from Bee Sweet. "That has made a big difference for us."

Expertise that's earned, not claimed

Margarito doesn't call himself an expert lightly. He says it took five full seasons before he felt like he truly understood how everything fit together. Biology, chemistry, mechanics, operations, and people.

"You never stop learning. But after a while, you start to see the patterns. You can walk into a house and sense when something's off, even before the data confirms it."

Most of what he does happens behind the scenes. But the impact is visible in every box of fruit that ships clean, compliant, and on time. It is also in the confidence his customers have that their postharvest program is built on more than guesswork.

A quiet force behind better fruit

Margarito Morales doesn't sell coatings. He doesn't run a lab. He doesn't manage your team. But when you work with him, you get something that ties all those pieces together: a mind trained to spot problems before they spread, and a person willing to walk the line with you until they're solved.

Technical service advisor support with JBT Marel coatings contracts

When companies partner with JBT Marel for their postharvest wax and fungicide programs, they also receive dedicated support from a licensed Technical Service Advisor (TSA) just like Margarito.
This support is built into the contract to help ensure products are applied correctly, decay is managed proactively, and compliance standards are consistently met. Advisors like Margarito Morales don't just visit during emergencies; they become a consistent part of your postharvest operation throughout the season.

Here's what's included:

• Bi-monthly packinghouse visits during the season to evaluate fruit quality, equipment function, and product performance
• Spore assays to monitor fungal pressure and detect resistance development
• Fungicide and wax residue testing to verify proper coverage and application rates
• Dye injury testing to identify potential damage points along the packing line
• Fungicide calibration and mixing support, including tank charging assistance when needed
• Chlorine and pH monitoring in wash systems to maintain food safety targets
• Regulatory documentation and food safety audit support (e.g., licenses, SDSs, product labels, service records)
• Staff training in product handling, sanitation, and food safety procedures (available in English and Spanish)
• Real-time troubleshooting and off-season planning support
• Post-season reviews to assess performance and prepare for future improvements

These services are designed to help packinghouse teams stay ahead of problems, meet evolving compliance standards, and protect fruit quality all the way to market, whether that's across the country or across the ocean.

JBT Marel 's goal is simple: make sure your postharvest program works. Not just in theory, but every day, on your line, with your fruit.

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