Study on ethylene-free storage of kumquats
AIM
The aim of the project is to study the impact and effectiveness of KEEPCOOL ethylene filters for storing kumquats.
The study consists in measuring various parameters that are indicative of ripening and ageing in kumquats with and without the system to delay it while stored at 7-8º C.
METHODOLOGY
All the tests were carried out in a 200-m3 cold-storage unit at 7-8º C and no humidity control, storing 3 crates of kumquats weighing approximately 7.5 kg per crate. The weight of the fruit was analysed at the beginning and after 3, 7 and 14 days. In another identical cold-storage unit, we did the test with the KEEPCOOL system, installing an M-CAM 200 machine with 2 filters behind the evaporator.
MATERIALS
The following materials and teams were used to do the tasks:
Company: Earmur, based in Murcia and one of the top producers of kumquats in the region..
Kumquat: 6 crates of fruit freshly harvested from the estate.
Filter: As a system to delay ripening and ageing, we used 2 KEEPCOOL KF-7, filters inside the M-CAM 200 machine with a fungicide system.
Cold storage: The 200-m3 cold-storage room is equipped with a program that controls temperature, humidity and lighting. For the test, the produce was stored at 7-8º C.
GRAPHIC
Graph from weight-loss study with kumquats stored with KEEPCOOL ethylene filters
PHOTOS
