Storage Of Agricultural Products Research Articles

Research on the Problems and Countermeasures of Agricultural Products Distribution in China Under "Double Carbon" Goal

At the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2020, China proposed that carbon dioxide emissions should peak before 2030 and strive to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. The 2022 "Government Work Report" pointed out the orderly promotion of carbon peak and carbon neutrality. This paper analyzes the impact of the "double carbon" target on the logistics distribution of agricultural products, including energy consumption and carbon emissions, and then discusses the existing problems from the aspects of picking, packaging, transportation and storage of agricultural products, such as low logistics distribution efficiency and unreasonable storage methods for waste agricultural products during transportation. As an important link between agricultural production and consumption, agricultural products logistics distribution must adapt to the requirements of dual-carbon goals, optimize logistics distribution mode, improve logistics efficiency, and reduce logistics carbon emissions so as to achieve sustainable development. Therefore, this study selected the problems and countermeasures of agricultural product logistics distribution in our country under the dual carbon goal as the research object in order to provide a reference for promoting green development of agriculture and realizing the dual carbon goal.

Identification of potent inhibitors targeting Tribolium castaneum GSTe2 via structure-based screening and molecular dynamics simulation

Red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, has a major negative impact during storage of agricultural products and reveals the negative impacts on human health. Insect-specific epsilon glutathione S-transferase (GSTs) which requires reduced glutathione (GSH) as an essential substrate not only develop insecticide resistance but also play important role in insect metamorphosis. Inhibition of the insect metamorphosis and the development of insecticide resistance could play an important role in pest control, so T. castaneum GSTe2 (TcGSTe2) in our previous study could be an important target protein for this purpose. This study aimed to find a potential TcGSTe2 inhibitors through in silico mothods, including molecular modeling, molecular docking, ADMET assay, followed by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, principal component analysis and MM/PBSA analysis. The results showed that ZINC000169293362 and ZINC000095566957 were selected as potential TcGSTe2 inhibitors with high-binding affinity and without any toxicity from 3618 of GSH-like compounds obtained from ZINC database. MD simulation results revealed that TcGSTe2-ZINC000169293362 had more stability than that of reference GSH. Moreover, TcGSTe2-ZINC000169293362 and TcGSTe2-ZINC000095566957 showed lower binding free energy (−27.53 ± 0.16 kcal/mol and −18.83 ± 0.15 kcal/mol, respectively) compared with TcGSTe2-GSH (−8.90 ± 0.30 kcal/mol). This study could provide new insight into reduction of insecticide resistance and be used to design new inhibitors of insect GSTs. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

A Review on Metal Oxide Semiconductor-Based Chemo-Resistive Ethylene Sensors for Agricultural Applications

Ethylene, an important phytohormone, significantly influences plant growth and the ripeness of fruits and vegetables. During the transportation and storage of agricultural products, excessive ethylene can lead to economic losses due to rapid deterioration. Metal oxide semiconductor (MOS)-based chemo-resistive sensors are a promising technology for the detection of ethylene due to their low cost, high sensitivity, portability, etc. This review comprehensively summarizes the materials, fabrications, agricultural applications, and sensing mechanisms of these sensors. Moreover, the current challenges are highlighted and the potential solutions are proposed.

Effect of air, O2, Ar, and N2 plasma‐activated water on mildewing activity of moldy pathogen of Gannan navel oranges

AbstractIn this study, the physicochemical properties of plasma‐activated water (PAW) prepared from air, , , and plasma and the trend of the concentration of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) with respect to time were investigated and related to the effect of PAW on navel orange mold. The results showed that PAW had a strong lethal effect on navel orange mold and could effectively inhibit the mildewing activity of pathogenic spores. In addition, PAW is effective in reducing weight loss and decay of navel oranges during storage. This study suggests the potential application of PAW to prevent fungal infections during storage of agricultural products.

Mathematical modeling of the refrigerating chamber of a combined solar dryer-refrigerator with a heat pump

Mathematical modeling appears to be a valuable tool for controlling the cooling and storage process of agricultural products. Therefore, mathematical modeling of the balance of heat and mass in refrigeration chambers is relevant. Mathematical modeling of the thermal regime of the thermal regime of a refrigeration chamber with a heat pump and determining temperature changes depending on time. Mathematical modeling is carried out based on the thermal balance of the refrigerating chamber by the method of conservation of mass and energy. It has been established that cooling and long-term storage of agricultural products in refrigeration chambers require a huge amount of electrical energy. At an outside air temperature of 30℃, it takes 30-40 minutes to cool products to the required temperature; for long-term storage, 5.5-6.0 kWh/day of electrical energy is consumed. A combined dryer-refrigerator with a heat pump for storing agricultural products is proposed and a mathematical model of the refrigeration chamber is given, which makes it possible to analyze the temperature regime in the refrigeration chamber.

АГРОМАРКЕТИНГ В УМОВАХ ЦИФРОВІЗАЦІЇ

In the work, the management of agricultural resources is considered from the standpoint of the economic agrosystem, which should be built on the principles of optimization and predictability, which can be achieved due to the digitization of the industry. This, in turn, leads to an increase in the role of marketing in the process of collecting, analyzing and processing information. The purpose of the article is the theoretical and methodological substantiation of the applied aspects of agricultural marketing in the conditions of digital transformation. The problems of the implementation of digital technologies in rural areas are identified: the reduction of the share of the rural population, which reduces opportunities in the field of education and employment, the limitation of the basic IT infrastructure and the need for investment costs for the implementation of specific digital solutions taking into account existing opportunities. Agromarketing is proposed to be considered as an integrative management system of an enterprise for the production and sale of agricultural products, which ensures the formation of sustainable relationships between agricultural enterprises and consumers to meet the needs of the population in agricultural products and services. This goal should be achieved by providing not only monitoring of the agricultural market, but also forecasting of long-term conditions with a high degree of reliability; minimization of the impact on the environment and production of quality products; formation of the appropriate material and technical base for the storage of agricultural products; minimization of intermediary structures. The main task of agricultural marketing is to identify and research the needs of potential consumers of agro-industrial complex; selection of products for production, establishment of its properties; coordination of terms and volumes of production; preservation and expansion of the existing market share in accordance with the set goals; increasing sales volumes and obtaining the desired results. The specificity of agro-industrial production and sale of agricultural products determines the variety of specific marketing schemes, including the study of the state and dynamics of consumer demand and the use of the obtained data in the process of developing and making economic decisions; maximum adaptation of production to market requirements in order to improve the efficiency of the enterprise's functioning; influencing market and consumer demand through means such as advertising, sales promotion and shaping in a direction that is meaningful to the enterprise. The work defines the main areas of implementation of digital technologies in marketing activities of agribusiness: digitalization of the agricultural market, digitalization in the field of enterprise management, precision agriculture with climate control, use of cloud platforms and big data analytics. At the same time, the implementation of digital technologies in the marketing activities of agribusiness should be carried out in parallel with the digital transformation of the entire industry.

Determination of neonicotinoid pesticides nitenpyram and dinotefuran by electroanalytical methods

Nitenpyram (NIT) and dinotefuran (DNF) are neonicotinoid pesticides commonly used in the production and storage of agricultural products, as well as in forests and gardens, for the purpose of protection from insect pests. Although they are safer for mammals, their toxic effects on pollinators, such as bees, and their long-term accumulation in water and soil, are important problems. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that their usage remains within certain specific limits and that their residues are quickly, precisely, and reliably monitored in various samples. In this review, electrochemical methods, which are voltammetry, amperometry, and potentiometry, for the determination of NIT and DNF in pure solutions, agricultural, and environmental samples by using various modified electrodes were reviewed. The results obtained from studies published since 2011 were compared, and the effectiveness of the selected methods was demonstrated. It was observed that the electrochemical methods, particularly voltammetry, used in the studies conducted for NIT and DNF yielded selective and sensitive results at detection limits at nmol L–1 levels. These methods also exhibited high precision and accuracy without being affected by the matrix of the studied samples, such as soil, water, or agricultural products.

Application of omics technology in the storage and transportation of agricultural products

Agricultural products may deteriorate due to various reasons during storage and transportation, resulting in serious losses. However, the mechanism of deterioration is complex, and many mechanisms are currently unclear. In recent years, the rapid development of omics technologies, such as genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics, has led to breakthroughs in exploring the mechanism of product quality changes during the storage and transportation of agricultural products, and also help to understand molecular mechanisms. By using omics technology to gain a deeper understanding of the changes in agricultural products during storage and transportation, more efficient, environmentally friendly, and resource saving storage and transportation methods can be developed, providing a research foundation for the sustainability of China’s agricultural food system. In addition, research on omics technology has provided theoretical support for screening more suitable storage methods and transportation conditions. This review presents the potential application omics technologies in agricultural product storage and transportation. The application examples of omics technology in the storage and transportation process of agricultural products were discussed. Finally, the prospects indicate that omics technology has unlimited potential.

Determination of Selected Engineering Properties of Jathropha Seed

Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) is a prominent renewable energy plant with great potential for biodiesel production from its seeds. This research project aimed to investigate the engineering properties of Jatropha seeds to evaluate their suitability for biodiesel production and various industrial applications. By reducing reliance on fossil diesel, Jatropha biodiesel offers the prospect of enhanced energy security and reduced environmental pollution resulting from fossil fuel combustion (Werby and Mousa, 2016). The study focused on understanding the physical, mechanical, and aerodynamic properties of Jatropha seeds. Knowledge of these properties is crucial for the design of efficient machines and equipment used in processing, handling, cleaning, transporting, and storage of agricultural products like Jatropha seeds. Specifically, the research investigated the physical characteristics of the seeds, including size, shape, color, and texture. Moisture content was analyzed using standard drying methods, while bulk density and true density were measured through displacement techniques. Results indicated that Jatropha seeds possess favorable physical properties for handling and processing. In conclusion, this research contributes valuable insights into the engineering properties of Jatropha seeds, making them a promising bioresource for biodiesel production and diverse industrial applications. Addressing the identified challenges can further enhance their potential utilization and contribute to sustainable energy practices.

Study of quality and technological parameters for the storage of greens using ionized water

During the storage of agricultural products, in order to maximally preserve quality indicators and to prevent spoilage, the creation of a special temperature and climate regime in the cold storage boxes, harmless to health and environmentally friendly preparations are used, which along with a temperature environment, allow for long-term, high-quality storage of products, as well as complex sanitary-hygienic measures, the main one of which is disinfection and deodorization of the cold storage boxes. The article discusses the studies on the treatment of agricultural products by ionized water and their further storage, in particular, for the greens storage, there was selected their treatment by „alkaline ionized water” while „acidic ionized water“ is used for disinfection of the cold storage boxes. The method of obtaining ionized water and the research object were selected, the storage conditions were established, and the quality and technological indicators of the greens were determined. The reduced density of glucose under optimal storage conditions varies from 28 to 19, and the reduced density of water ranges within 445 to 404 after 10 days of storage. The change of technological indicators after 3 and 10 days of storage amounts to: mass losses – 0.70% and 0.85%, water binding capacity - 70% and 61%, and water holding – 65% and 57%.

Use of an earthen clay pot refrigerator with a thermoelectric cooler for extending farm produce shelf life

Conventional cold storage systems increase the risk of damage and are no longer used for the long-term storage of agricultural products. Thus, newer affordable and energy-efficient storage systems are required for enhancing the shelf life of farm produce. We investigated the coefficient of performance (COP) of an earthen clay pot refrigerator with a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) and explored cooling strategies to enhance cooling and electrical performance for increasing the shelf life of farm produce. We used MATLAB Simulink to analyze Peltier TEC module efficiency. The intrinsic characteristics, including the Seebeck coefficient (α), thermal conductivity (K), and electrical resistance (R), were determined, forming the basis of the Peltier module in MATLAB Simulink. Thermal characteristics such as COP and cooling capacity were studied as a function of system voltage (Vin) and current (Iin). The model was equipped with a 12 V/6 A, 60 W TEC and was verified by simulation investigation. We also used psychrometric measures (e.g., wet bulb, dry bulb, and dew point temperatures and relative humidity) to determine the extent of wetness or dryness of an object and monitor other temperatures of the clay pot refrigerator. The results revealed that the ambient temperature and cold and hot side temperatures fundamentally affected TEC performance. The TEC extended the shelf life of tomatoes, potatoes, and spinach by 60% compared to those stored under ambient conditions, thereby reducing their wastage. In conclusion, earthen refrigeration using TEC doubled the shelf life of farm produce compared to storage under ambient conditions, saving money, resources, labor, and supplies and enabling the development of efficient and environmentally friendly refrigeration systems.

Post-harvest conservation of 'Shelly' and 'Omer' mangoes under refrigerated conditions cultivated in the sub-middle of the São Francisco Valley

Mango is one of the most important fruits in the world, but its high perishability after harvest limits its commercialization over long distances. Brazil stands out in world production and exports, showing an increasing potential for growth, either with the search for new cultivars or with the advance in the maintenance of fruit quality. Thus, the objective of this research was to evaluate the post-harvest conservation of Israeli mangoes 'Shelly' and 'Omer' stored under refrigerated conditions. The experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Product Storage Laboratory (LAPA), at the Federal University of São Francisco Valley (UNIVASF). The samples received were sanitized, stored for forty days at a temperature of 12 ºC and evaluated at five-day intervals for differences in absorbance (DA index), skin and pulp color (L*, a* and b*), mass loss (ML), dry matter (DM), firmness and soluble solids (SS). The experimental design was completely randomized in a 2 x 9 factorial scheme (cultivars x storage times), with four replications per treatment, except for DM and ML evaluations. Based on the results, the cultivar Omer responded better to the refrigeration condition for post-harvest conservation than Shelly, showing better performance in the evaluation of parameters of firmness, mass loss, dry matter and colorimetry. 'Shelly' performed better in terms of DA index and soluble solids.

Concentrated solar powered agricultural products dryer: Energy, exergoeconomic and exergo-environmental analyses

Only energy-efficient and sustainable drying processes can ensure a long-term and safe storage of agricultural products. Therefore, in this study, a multi-conical solar concentrating system is proposed for drying of various agricultural products. This paper focuses on multiple aspects of performance including energy, exergo-economic and exergo-environmental performance analyses. Copper oxide/water nanofluid was used as a heat transfer medium and the drying characteristics of green pumpkin and carrot slices were studied as samples application. It was found that the proposed multi-conical solar dryer showed a significant improvement in the thermal performance, and the drying time which takes to reach the set drying temperature was reduced by 40% related to the conventional solar dryers. In addition, the inside temperature of the dryer was well maintained at the set temperature for 10 h. Using multi-conical solar dryer, the average values of exergy efficiency and exergy loss were found to be 38.08% and 0.61 kW, respectively. In context of economic and environmental analyses, the energy payback time and CO2 mitigation for the expected lifetime of CuO nanofluid based solar dryer were 4.38 years and 13.41 tons, respectively, and with water as a heating medium these values were found to be 7.65 years and 10.39 tons, respectively. The performed assessments revealed that the nanofluid powered multi-conical solar drying system is highly efficient for drying of agricultural products at an industrial scale.

Development and evaluation of a low-cost evaporative cooling system for agricultural product storage

Agricultural products are highly perishable and, hence, we need to preserve these products after harvest. India is an agricultural country and, thus, the post-harvest storage of perishable agricultural products is important to reduce the gap between the demand and supply. Cold storage technologies have been developed and are used in India; however, these technologies are not popular in rural and remote areas due to the higher initial cost and the electrical energy requirement. Therefore, a number of low-cost technologies have been developed and, among these technologies, the evaporative cooling technology is gaining in popularity due to its simple design and lower initial cost. In this work, we have developed and tested a solar photovoltaic (PV) powered evaporative cooling system and used coconut coir as the cooling medium and compared the results with celdex pad. From this work, we observed that this system is an economical and efficient in reducing the temperature and increasing the relative humidity for the storage of agricultural products.

Formation of a portfolio of digital technologies and solutions for the production and storage of agricultural products

Guaranteeing food security in the country is a multifaceted issue that requires a comprehensive solution. It is important not only to produce raw materials for food products, but also to establish an efficient logistics network that will ensure delivery to the final consumer. In order to do it, it is important to store agricultural products, livestock and fish, as well as to create a reliable material base that will ensure the safety of products throughout the entire storage period.

Регулювання зовнішньоекономічної діяльності в аграрному секторі України в умовах воєнного стану

It is found that under martial law, the importance of the agricultural sector for the expanded reproduction of the potential of the national economy as a whole along with the provision of the macroeconomic stability in the country increases. It is determined that one of the basic factors of accelerated development of the agrarian sector of the economy of Ukraine is the intensification of foreign economic activity of subjects of agrarian entrepreneurship, intense activities at the processing and food production plants, in particular by increasing the volume of exports of products with high added value and limiting unproductive and increasing high-tech agricultural imports. It is substantiated that the key institutional prerequisite for expanding the spectrum of foreign economic relations of Ukrainian subjects of agrarian and agro-industrial entrepreneurship is the improvement of the system of regulation of foreign economic activity through the introduction of additional regulators in the range of methods, instruments, levers of regulatory influence on export-import flows and the development of logistics and warehousing infrastructure. It is determined that the regulation of foreign economic activity of subjects of agrarian entrepreneurship along with the processing and food production plants is a set of budgetary-tax, customs, loaning, anti-dumping, insurance, licensing and reglementary methods and instruments of regulatory influence on export-import flows of agricultural products and food products, as well as on improving the infrastructure of storage of agricultural products and foods. It is substantiated that in the conditions of martial law, first of all, it is necessary to ensure the diversification of methods and tools of direct and indirect budgetary support for agricultural exports, in particular in terms of ensuring timely and uninterrupted VAT reimbursement to Ukrainian exporters of agricultural products, as well as diversification of methods and tools of loaning support for exporters of high value-added products and operators of high-tech imports for the needs of agrotechnical, veterinary and agrochemical support for the development of the domestic agricultural sector.

Evaluation of the behavior of coffee stored in cooled and natural environments Ednilton

The market value of coffee is strongly influenced by loss of quality, which makes storage one of the main steps in the entire production chain. The finite element method (FEM) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are numerical and computational techniques that facilitate the simulation of agricultural product storage systems. Computational modeling satisfactorily represents real experimentation, simplifies decision-making, and reduces costs. This study aimed to analyze mocha coffee storage for 6 months in a cooled environment with temperatures between 15 and 18 °C and in a natural environment. The water content, bulk density, specific heat, thermal conductivity, and thermal diffusivity were determined and colorimetry and sensory analysis were applied to compare initial and final samples of the product after storage. It was found that the water content and specific heat were the only properties that presented significant changes. Through sensory analysis, it was observed that the quality of the coffee was the same for both systems. A computational model was developed to simulate the heat transfer process during storage. The comparison of the simulation results with the experimental results for the temperature distribution in the grain mass showed overall mean relative errors of 2.34% for the natural environment and 5.74% for the cooled environment. Key words: Coffee; postharvest; storage.

Automatic control of active ventilation systems in agricultural products storage facilities

The article recommends automatic control of active ventilation systems in agricultural product storage facilities. The search for rational solutions for ventilation, heating, and automatic control systems (ACS) that improve product storage quality and methods and means of storage is considered. As a result of the analysis of the requirements for air-cooling storage units that operate for no more than 25 days per annual storage cycle, it was proved that refrigerating arrangements that are based on the principle of operation of vortex energy separators - vortex tubes (VT) meet these requirements most fully. In terms of temperature effect, the VT is inferior to the expander by 1.3 ... 1.5 times, in terms of cooling capacity by 3.0 ... 3.5 times. Compared to the throttling process, vortex tubes, when operating in air, are about 30 times better in terms of temperature effect and 15 times better in terms of cooling capacity.

Priorities for the development of the production infrastructure of the agro-industrial complex

The article identifies groups of infrastructure sectors: those that directly serve the process of production of agricultural products and raw materials, and industries and organizations that provide procurement, transportation and storage of agricultural products. The study of these infrastructure sectors, their significance and impact on the level of rural development and strengthening of the national economy. The authors evaluate a set of measures to increase the yield of cultivated land, one of which is the use of fertilizers.Along with agrochemical problems, the country's agriculture is facing acute problems with providing fresh water, increasing needs for infrastructure for marketing agricultural products, lack of industrial containers, lack of storage capacity for food products, underdevelopment of trade and logistics systems, insufficient number of transport and logistics centers, transport support for agricultural industries, and deterioration of roads. One of the ways to solve these problems was to improve the infrastructure for selling agricultural products and create a wide network of purchase points in all rural localities of the Republic and remote areas with a high concentration of sources of agricultural raw materials.The article also discusses measures for the implementation of state programs for the development of agricultural sectors. In particular, the actions of financial institution that implements the state policy on supporting and stimulating the development of agroindustrial complex, increasing the availability of funding of the subjects of agriculture, the financial institutions included in it, credit programs, their prospective opportunities in the development of infrastructure industries and agriculture as a whole are studied in detail.

Study on antibacterial mechanism of electron beam radiation on Aspergillus flavus

Contamination with Aspergillus flavus, which produces carcinogenic metabolites, during the post-harvest storage of agricultural products seriously endangers human health and safety. In this study, the efficacy of short-term electron beam irradiation processing with high sterilization efficiency, no contamination and no additives was evaluated for the prevention and control of A. flavus. The effects of irradiation on Aspergillus growth were determined based on analyses of physical and chemical indexes, morphology, mycelial growth, spore germination rates, mycelial dry weights, and toxin-producing ability. The effects of irradiation on the cell membrane and cell wall of A. flavus were investigated based on assays of the chitin content, chitinase activity, protein concentration, and malondialdehyde content. Damage to the antioxidant system was determined by the hydrogen peroxide content, catalase activity, superoxide dismutase activity, superoxide anion radical scavenging activity and rates of 1,1-diphenyl-2-trinitrophenylhydrazine inhibition. The inhibitory effect of irradiation on peanut invasion by A. flavus was verified. After irradiation, the thallus morphology was destroyed, mycelial growth was inhibited, and the spore germination rate, mycelial dry weight, and toxin-producing ability of A. flavus were reduced. Chitinase activity and the malondialdehyde content increased, while the chitin and total protein contents decreased. Catalase activity, superoxide dismutase activity, superoxide anion radical scavenging activity, and the rate of 1,1-diphenyl-2-trinitrophenylhydrazine inhibition decreased, while the hydrogen peroxide content increased after irradiation. These findings suggested that electron beam irradiation can effectively inhibit the normal growth and toxin production of A. flavus. Irradiation increased cell membrane permeability and decreased the integrity of the cell wall. The antioxidant system was damaged to some extent. Compared with that in unirradiated A. flavus, high-dose electron beam irradiation effectively inhibited growth. As a means of postharvest control, electron beam irradiation may have wide applications in the agricultural industry.