Produce Quality Centre - controlled atmosphere storage research

Crop research / agronomy

Natural

General description

The facilities can be used to carry out trials to optimise storage and handling conditions for fresh produce in order to maintain quality and nutritional value and minimise losses.

Technical description

SUMMARY OF FACILITIES • 10 adaptable controlled temperature rooms capable of control -1°C to 30°C o 6 large temperature controlled rooms on the ground floor. ? 4 rooms 6 x 6 x 5.2 m height, 2 jacketed 6 x 5.3 x 4 m height. 2 of the non-jacketed rooms have mezzanines providing space for up to 16 CA chamber per room. o 4 smaller rooms upstairs 3 x 3 x 2.5 m height (access by service lift). • >70 Controlled atmosphere (CA) storage chambers with automated monitoring and control in containers holding 90-500Kg of produce. o Across the ground floor store rooms there are > 40 CA cabinets controlled centrally but with capability for each to have a different atmosphere, and each with capacity of 90 kg produce (360 L). o LabPod chambers (SCS Ltd) each with independent CA control. >22 with capacity of 80 kg produce (430 L), 14 with capacity of 15 kg produce (41 L). o Prototype P-Pods (SCS Ltd) dedicated to potato storage research; 4 original SafePod design, 2 adapted Mark 1 design, 4 adapted Mark 2 design. • 3 temperature humidity programmable controlled cabinets each with capacity 1100 L • Experimental Cooling Cell (JDCooling) for 5-10 crates, with capability for differential cooling rates to control rate of cooling with decreasing crop temperatures and prototype infra-red imaging. • Monitoring of respiration, ethylene and ethanol production • Quality evaluation laboratory 75 m2 including equipment for analysis of texture, colour, sugars, acids, starch assessment • Shelf-life evaluation facilities