Overview
Poor temperature management is one of the environmental factors that contribute to high postharvest losses in perishable commodities. The high cost of conventional cold rooms required for cold storage makes them inaccessible for the majority of smallholder farmers in developing countries hence the need for cheaper alternatives. One such alternative is the Coolbot™ technology which has been tested and adopted in several countries. In this paper, the local adaptation of the Coolbot technology and testing of its application in man-go fruits is demonstrated. The study was conducted in a participatory approach with smallholder mango farmers in Makueni County of Kenya between 2014 and 2015. An insulated room (3.7 X 3.7 X 4.0 M) was built from 200 mm thick structural insulated panels made from polystyrene. The room was then fitted with an air conditioner (LG brand of 24,000 BTU) and the Coolbot which was sourced from Store It Cold LLC (USA).
The system was then optimized according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Mango fruits sourced from smallholder commercial farmers were separated into two batches for storage in the Coolbot™ cold room and ambient room conditions. The temperature on the Coolbot gadget was set at 100C and monitored real-time using Xsense® data loggers. A random sample of 5 fruits was taken from each storage condition regularly to evaluate ripening-related changes. The results showed that the Coolbot was effective to attain and maintain the set storage temperature 10±20C over a 40-day storage period. At this temperature, the shelf life of mango fruits was extended by up to 23 days more compared to those stored at ambient room conditions. The slow progression of ripening in the mango fruits stored in the Coolbot cold room was evidenced by low respiration and ethylene evolution rate, slower softening and retention of higher hue angles throughout the storage period. These findings confirm the efficacy of the Coolbot technology as an alternative cold storage option to extend the shelf life of perishable commodities such as mango fruit.
More information is available on The First Africa-wide Postharvest Food Loss Reduction Conference and Exhibition Research Projects
Sponser
University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Horticulture Innovation Lab
Principal Investigator
Abstract
Poor temperature management is one of the environmental factors that contribute to high postharvest losses in perishable commodities. The high cost of conventional cold rooms required for cold storage makes them inaccessible for the majority of smallholder farmers in developing countries hence the need for cheaper alternatives. One such alternative is the Coolbot™ technology which has been tested and adopted in several countries. In this paper, the local adaptation of the Coolbot technology and testing of its application in man-go fruits is demonstrated. The study was conducted in a participatory approach with smallholder mango farmers in Makueni County of Kenya between 2014 and 2015. An insulated room (3.7 X 3.7 X 4.0 M) was built from 200 mm thick structural insulated panels made from polystyrene. The room was then fitted with an air conditioner (LG brand of 24,000 BTU) and the Coolbot which was sourced from Store It Cold LLC (USA).
