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Controlled Atmosphere Instrumentation for Longer Shelf-Life of Apples
Apples contribute a major part of GDP of Himachal. For sustained and increased growth of any industry/ horticulture products, development of new technology and its commercial adoption has been the key for more earnings, better quality, lower price (relevant in a country like India) and increased exports. Total sale value of Himachal Apple alone is more than Rs. 1000 Crore and for the country in the range of Rs. 3000 Crore annually.
Presently apples are either sold in fresh form, principally to markets in Delhi and northern India or after refrigeration in ordinary cold storage of a few (3-4) months. With the ordinary refrigerated technique (practiced in India) the quality of stored apples, even in February, (apples begin coming from Sept to Nov.) is very poor, having a very low juice content (fluffy apple), as compared to the fresh apple in the month of September, which has resulted in highly reduced usage of large cold stores set up in Delhi, Parwanoo and Shimla. This deprives the apple growers throughout the year from good selling with the increased earnings.
COMPUTERISED DATA MONITORING & CONTROL SYSTEM
This new method, allows apples to be kept in as good condition as a fresh for 10 - 12 months, with high juice content, sweetness etc. This implies to avoid glut in market in September, increased earnings to farmers and our ability to export international quality apples to earn more foreign exchange from apples and other horticulture produce.
The basic requirement for the storage of the agriculture produce is to maintain for the greatest length of time for which the bulk of the produce may be stored with minimum acceptable loss of quality nutritive value and minimum wastage by spoilage. In developed countries, like U.S., Europe and Japan, a modified version of this technique, called "Controlled Atmosphere (CA) Storage" for apples and other horticulture products has been developed and is in commercial use for the last 15 years or so.
The new technique, not yet developed in India at least in any large-scale use, involves controlling the atmosphere (instead of usual air, containing 22% oxygen), besides the only temperature as in a usual cold store in India. This technique requires controlled atmosphere.
For apples:
CA STORED APPLES FOR PERIOD OF 6 TO 8 MONTHS
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