Research Grants /Awards

1. Formulating Food Product for COVID-19 Patient Treatment, HU Grant-August, 2020 (Team member).
2. Evaluation of Biodegradable Food Packaging Materials in Terms of Their Effects on Physiological, Biochemical and Microbiological Quality of Tomatoes In South African Supply Chain. Tomato Producer Organisation (TPO) (TPO Project 20 – 19). For 2020-2021 (Member of the project as a postdoctoral research fellow).
3. The ZZ2 tomato producer and the Tomato Postharvest Innovation (PHI) Programme project grand for three years (2015-2018).
4. South African National Research Foundation grant (NRF – TWAS) with reference Number: SFH150902141138, for two years (2016 and 2017).
5. Awarded, FAO complementary food processing for infants of 6-24 months project implemented at Oromia Region, Jijiga Zone, Chinakson Woreda, with a team of HU staff from 2011-2012.
6. Awarded Haramaya University (HU) Grant for research on Biogas-production capacity, feasibility and production from HU bio and food wastes in 2012.
7. Awarded MSc scholarship in Belgium by VLIR-OUS scholarship in 2008-2010.

Some Publications in Refereed Journals and Book Chapters

1. Chisenga, S.M., Tolesa, G.N. and Workneh T.S. (2020). Biodegradable Food Packaging Materials and Prospects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution for Tomato Fruit and Product Handling. International Journal of Food Science: p. 8879101. DOI: 1155/2020/8879101
2. Geleta T. T., Habtegebreil S.A., Tolesa G. N. (2020). Physical, mechanical, and optical properties of enset starch from bulla films influenced by different glycerol
   concentrations and temperatures. J Food Process Preserv. 2020;00:e14586. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jfpp.14586.
3. Tolesa, G. N. and Workneh, T. S. (2020a). CFD modeling of airflow inside unloaded evaporative cooler, Coolbot-air-conditioner and combined operations. Paper presented at the XXX IHC – Proc. Int. Symp. Strategies and Technologies to Maintain Quality and Reduce Postharvest Losses, Istanbul, Turkey. DOI 10.17660/ActaHortic.2020.1275.40
4. Tolesa, G. N. and Workneh, T. S. (2020b). A comparison of the influence of different low-cost cooling technologies on tomato cooling time and temperature. Paper presented at the XXX IHC – Proc. Int. Symp. Strategies and Technologies to Maintain Quality and Reduce Postharvest Losses, Istanbul, Turkey. DOI 10.17660/ActaHortic.2020.1275.39
5. Tolesa, G. N., Ambaw, A. T., Workneh, T. S and Opara, L. O. (2019). The Use of Computation Fluid Dynamics Modeling in the Design Process of Coolers. Acta Horticulture (Accepted and In Press).
6. Tolesa, G. N., Ambaw, A., Workneh, T. S. and Opara, U. L. (2018, 22–25 October). Analyzing the Distribution of Airflow Inside a Low-cost Tomato Cold Store Room to Evaluate the Efficacy of The Combined Use of Evaporative Cooling and Air Conditioning System. Paper presented at the proceedings of the 12th CIGR Section VI International Symposium, held at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria (Published).
7. Tolesa, G. N., Workneh, T. S. and Melesse, S. F. (2018). Logistic regression analysis of marketability of tomato fruit harvested at different maturity stages and subjected to disinfection, storage condition, and storage period treatments. Biological Agriculture & Horticulture, 34(1), 40 – 52. https://doi.org/10.1080/01448765.2017.1368414. (IF (2015) = 765).
8. Tolesa, G. N., Workneh, T. S. and Melesse, S. F. (2018). Modeling Effects of Pre-Storage Treatments, Maturity Stage, Low-Cost Storage Technology Environment and Storage Period on the Quality of Tomato Fruit. CyTA-Journal of Food, 16 (1), 271-280. https://doi.org/10.1080/19476337.2017.1392616. (IF (2016) = 180).
9. Tolesa, G. N. and Workneh, T. S (2018). Effects of Evaporative Cooling and Coolbot Air Conditioning on Changes in the Environmental Conditions inside the Cooling Chamber. Acta Hortic. 1201. ISHS 2018. VII Int. Conf. on Managing Quality in Chains & II Int. Symp. on Ornamentals in association with XIII Int. Protea Research Symp. https://org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2018.1201.38 .
10. Tolesa, G. N. and Workneh, T. S. (2017). Influence of storage environment, maturity stage and pre-storage disinfection treatments on tomato fruit quality during winter in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 54(10), 3230-3242. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-017-2766-6. (IF (2016) = 262).
11. Diba, D., Bultosa, G. and Tolesa, G. N. (2017). Effect of maturity stages on nutritive quality and sensory properties of Fig fruits. Bots.J.Agric.Appl.Sci., 12 (Issue 1), In Press.
12. Colle, I. J. P., Lemmen, L., Tolesa, G. N., Van Buggenhout, S., De Vleeschouwer, K., Van Loey, A. M., and Hendrickx*, M. E. (2010). Lycopene Degradation and Isomerization Kinetics during Thermal Processing of an Olive Oil/Tomato Emulsion. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, 58 (24), 12784–12789, https://dOI:10.1021/jf102934u. (IF = 154).

Presentation of conference papers, posters and proceedings

1. Tolesa, G. N. and Workneh, T. S. (2018). A Comparison of the Influence of Different Low-Cost Cooling Technologies on Tomato Cooling Time (Conference paper submitted and accepted for oral presentation by Acta Horticulture, June 11 – 15, 2018, Athens, Greece). https://www.ishs.org/symposium/645.
2. Tolesa, G. N., Ambaw A., Workneh, T. S., and Opara, U. L. CFD modeling of airflow inside the unloaded evaporative cooler, CoolBot-air-conditioner and combined operations (Conference paper submitted and accepted for oral presentation by Acta Horticulture, August 12 – 16, 2018, Istanbul, Turkey). https://www.ishs.org/symposium/674.
3. Tolesa, G. N., Workneh, T. S. and Melesse, S. F. (2017). Logistic Regression Analysis of Marketability of Tomato Fruit Harvested at Different Maturity Stage and Subjected to Disinfection, Storage Conditions and Storage Period Treatments. The 2^nd Ukulinga Howard Devis Memorial Symposium, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa (Poster presentation by G.N. Tolesa). http://caes.ukzn.ac.za/news/17-06 08/Second_Ukulinga_Howard_Davis_Memorial_Symposium_Unites_Stakeholders_for_Food_Security.aspx.
4. Tolesa G. N. and Wokneh T. S. (2017). Comparison of the changes of microclimates inside the charcoal evaporative cooler and CoolBot-Air Conditioner cooled cold stores. SAAFoST 2017 Congress and Exhibition at Century City Convention Centre in Cape Town from the 3rd – 6th September 2017 (Poster presentation by G.N. Tolesa). http://www.saafost2017.org.za/registration.asp.
5. Tolesa, G. N., Workneh, T. S. and Melesse, S. F. (2017). Logistic Regression Analysis of Marketability of Tomato Fruit Harvested at Different Maturity Stage and Subjected to Disinfection, Storage Conditions and Storage Period Treatments. SAAFoST 2017 Congress and Exhibition at Century City Convention Centre in Cape Town from the 3-6 September 2017 (Poster presentation by G. N. Tolesa). http://www.saafost2017.org.za/registration.asp.
6. Tolesa, G. N. and Workneh, T. S. (2016). Effect of evaporative cooling environment, maturity stage and pre-storage treatments on tomato fruit quality. The college of Agriculture, Engineering and Science Research Day, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa (Oral presentation by G.N. Tolesa). http://caes.ukzn.ac.za/news/16-12-09/Postgraduate_Students_Excel_at_Research_and_Innovation_Day.aspx.