Feb 24 2022

Fruits and vegetables significantly contribute to food security of the country whereas play an important role in human nutrition. However, tropical climatic conditions, shorten the shelf life of vegetables and fruits resulting serious post harvest losses. High temperature is considered as the most crucial factor affecting deterioration rate of these vegetables and fruits. The combination of low temperature and proper relative humidity can extend the shelf life leading less post harvest losses. In order to achieve aforementioned objectives, the initiatives were taken to design a suitable cold storage to store vegetables under the MOU between the NERDC and the NIPHM. The fabrication of the cold storage was carried out by the NERDC and evaluation of the vegetable quality and loss assessments were done by NIPHM where the trials were conducted. Chilli, capsicum, tomato, bitter gourd and brinjal were tested under cold store (temp. 6-8°C and RH 90 - 95%) and ambient conditions as two trials. Under cold store conditions, capsicum, tomato, chilli were able to store for a period of three weeks with minimum quality deteriorations where ambient lasted less than one week period of time. At the end of each trials, adaptive trials were conducted under air condition and ambient environments to evaluate the effects of removing vegetables from the cold store. Overall results at the end of two trials showed positive results which made the trial a success. Introducing of this new technology to public will be done as a collaboration of the NERDC and the NIPHM in the near future.