2018 ASHS Annual Conference

Fruits and vegetables are critical components to healthy diets, providing important micronutrients from prenatal to adulthood. In many parts of the developing world, rural and peri-urban families eat a very limited diet focused on staple crops, and are frequently not able to consume adequate amounts of nutritious foods. In these countries, horticultural crops are consumed only during a short period due to inadequate cooling, handling and storage facilities, leading to high losses after harvest. Horticulture crops provide important income and business opportunities in emerging economies. However, fruits and vegetables are perishable crops forcing farming families to sell their products at harvest when quality is high, but market prices may be low. Furthermore, high perishability prevents nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables from being consumed throughout the year. Cooling is the most efficient way of delaying the spoilage of fresh fruits and vegetables by slowing their metabolic processes. CoolBot® regulated cold rooms, which operate with household type air conditioners, can be installed in rural areas to provide moderate cost cold storage. Drying fruits and vegetables can stabilize and allow for storage of products that have not been sold or consumed due to gluts in supply. In tropical or humid areas, the drying process can be challenging, with high rates of spoilage due to torrential rains and high air humidity. A UC Davis-invented solar dryer, which has a chimney attached on one end of the drying table, facilitates airflow and reduces drying times while improving the quality of the dried products. The UC Davis DryCard is an important tool to measure the dryness of products before they are stored. This simple, inexpensive tool allows farmers and storage operators to quickly test if products have been dried enough to prevent harmful molds and toxins from developing in the product, affecting family health and the market viability of the products. Once the product is tested and determined to need additional drying, Zeolite clay Drying Beads, developed by Rhino Research, can be used to finish the drying process. These can be used on any dried product that needs to be stored, including high-value vegetable seeds. Once fully dried, the product can be stored or packaged in moisture-tight containers/packages. The implementation, operation, quality impacts and economic feasibility of these four technologies will be discussed, with evidence from several emerging economies. Successful adoption of these technologies is expected to support household nutrition and foster inclusive economic development.