2014 ASHS Annual Conference

High ambient temperatures and humidities in Bangladesh are a significant cause of postharvest losses of perishable horticultural crops.  In particular, potatoes, the second most important crop in Bangladesh (after rice), are harvested in a narrow window (late February/early March) during the winter.  Farmers store potatoes in their houses or in simple ambient storage structures, but storage is limited to one to two months.  The rest of the potato harvest is purchased by traders and stored in large commercial cool storages for up to 10 months.  We sought to demonstrate the possibility of providing low-cost but effective cool storage using the CoolBot technology.  An insulated room is cooled to proper storage temperatures using a standard air conditioner and a CoolBot controller that defeats the air conditioner’s own  thermostat, detects formation of frost on the evaporator, and cycles the air conditioner until the room reaches storage temperature.  Working with groups of small scale farmers, we built demonstration rooms in several communities, and compared cool and ambient storage for potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, and winter gourd.  Challenges included securing a reliable electricity supply, and constructing and equipping the rooms.  Nevertheless, the benefits of cool storage were readily apparent, and we are now working to develop construction and operational techniques that will make the rooms cost effective for smallholder farmers.