ISBN:  Unavailable

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Page count: 28

The growth of Botrytis cinerea is one of the main post-harvest issues in table grapes and many other fruits. Slow-release SO2 (sulphur dioxide) pads are therefore routinely used in reefer container transport of grapes. There are downsides to SO2, and hence reasons to search for alternatives. An atmosphere with approximately 12 % CO2 (carbon dioxide) seems the most promising alternative to SO2. The respiration rate of grapes is too low to achieve 12 % CO2 in reefer containers. Hence an additional source of CO2 is needed. This source can be dry ice. The aims of this research are: 1. To develop an approach to rapidly raise CO2 to 12 % in CA reefer containers and subsequently maintain CO2 at 12 % for multiple weeks, using dry ice as a source of gaseous CO2. 2. To experimentally verify the technical feasibility of the approach.