Characterization of Modern Cold Storage for Horticulture Crops

Abstract

Cold storage is at the heart of horticulture harvest, transportation, storage, marketing and consumption. In an attempt to minimize physiological, microbial and transportation losses, low temperature cold storage or refrigerated storage techniques or a combination of both are used right after harvest. The type of techniques or the sequential combination of techniques used will depend upon the nature of harvest, packaging, capacity, efficiency, resources and utility of produce. For an efficient cold storage system, the location of cold storage facilities must be at strategic points for ease of access, distribution, commercialization, supply and maintenance. Proper planning, attention to temperature and relative humidity requirements of stored produce, produce management and hygiene management provide further reinforcements in making the entire cold storage chain function competently. In supplementation to cold storage, controlled atmosphere storage and modified atmosphere storage are necessary to maintain uniformity and control over storage environments. Sometimes, the need to store different produce arises, and in such cases, utmost care is demanded while operating mixed commodity storage. Failure to maintain necessary storage conditions due to unforeseen circumstances or fluctuations in power supply may lead to disorders such as chilling injury and freezing injury, which may bear heavy produce and capital loses. For small scale systems, farmers and entrepreneurs, 184alternative techniques like surface cooling and evaporative cooling, aided by refrigerated transport systems can be used as gap-fillers to maintain continuity in cold supply chain. The ultimate aim of modern cold storage systems largely encompass, but not limited to, reducing post-harvest losses and bridging the gap between exploding demand and variable supply of produce. Therefore, planning, evaluation and effective implementation of such systems is a matter of global necessity.