In article recommendations about long storage of juicy vegetative production are made. Also the characteristic of cooled storages is provided.
Storage of potatoes, vegetables, semechkovy fruits and grapes in farmer and country farms of the Crimea
The Crimean vegetable growing – one of leading branches of an agrarian complex – steadily increases the potential. Results of cultivation of potatoes and vegetables in 2008 aren’t brought by producers of the Crimea yet, but according to preliminary estimates it is possible to tell that not less than 200 thousand t of vegetables and more than 180 thousand t of potatoes are collected. It more than last year. The share of a private sector in production of fruit-and-vegetable production continues to accrue. As a result the requirement of local population and vacationers in the current year was provided with own vegetable production more, than for 80 %. In the autumn in country and farms the crop of potatoes, vegetables and fruits which producers wish to keep concentrated, gradually realizing it during the winter and spring period on higher, than in cleaning to the prices. Many agricultural producers have a question: how to keep grown-up production with small losses and insignificant costs of storage? Possibly it only at a skillful and competent combination of biological features of culture, climatic conditions of the peninsula, factors of production and ways of storage. Understanding it, more and more landowners address for consultations and the help to specialists of chair of the production technology, storage and processing of production of vegetable growing and standardization of the Crimean state agrotechnological university.
Long storage of potatoes, vegetables, semechkovy fruits and grapes – the integral link of agricultural production in all countries located in the territory of the northern hemisphere of the globe. In the conditions of the Crimea to realize and consume the vegetables arriving directly from a field, it is possible within five months and consequently storage of this production should proceed not less than seven months. Long storage of juicy vegetative production is based on delay of exchange processes in its fabrics and suppression of activity of the microorganisms being on their surface. The simplest, cheap and non-polluting way of achievement of this purpose – temperature fall in storages. For each type of production there are optimum parameters of temperatures at which the processes noted above proceed more slowly.
Potatoes and root crops (carrots, a beet) quite successfully can be kept in the elementary storages-burtakh or trenches. As a result of frequent thaw production in burtax can get warm, is strong izrastat and to rot. Therefore burty it is possible to apply only in those cases if ground waters rise above, than by 1,5 m from an earth surface. The stablest temperature in storage in trenches. At their device it is important to observe the recommended depth and width. It is possible to manipulate length of a trench depending on quantity of production, but it is better, if it doesn’t exceed for potatoes of 10 m, for other types of vegetables – 5-8 m. Width of a trench for storage of potatoes, cabbage and a beet – 1-1,2 m; for carrots storage – 0,8 m, and possible depth – to 1 m but to choose production from deep trenches it is more difficult. Therefore for storage of potatoes and vegetables we recommend depth of trenches of 0,6-0,8 m.
To fill up potatoes and root crops in a trench it is possible in bulk, i.e. to store without container, and it is possible to put in box container. For this purpose use wooden or plastic boxes which it is necessary to establish across a trench in 2-3 circles depending on their height and depth of a trench. The cabbage is better for stacking on the raised wooden flooring. At storage of all types of vegetables of a trench should have devices for production ventilation. The shelter of trenches is carried out so that production not zamokala, didn’t freeze slightly and didn’t get warm. At storage of small volumes of production the trench is better for placing from North side under a structure shadow (houses, a shed, garage etc.). Before approach of a spring drowning over shelter it is necessary to fill a layer of sawdust or other material which is poorly carrying out heat. Observance above the listed conditions will allow to keep potatoes, carrots, a beet and cabbage without considerable losses till the end of April.
In stationary not cooled rooms (sheds, warehouses, cellars) in the conditions of the Crimea a keeping of these vegetables the various. Potatoes and a beet can be stored in container or in small zasekax in bulk in height of an embankment of 1-1,5 m. Duration of storage and intensity of rotting of carrots and cabbage in such warehouses is in big dependence on frequency and duration of thaw therefore their keeping in not cooled warehouses is worse, than in trenches. The onions in stationary storages can be stored in boxes, semi-containers or zasekax in embankment height to 0,4 m. Important that bulbs before a bookmark on storage were ripened and dry. For fast cooling of production it is necessary to use natural cold correctly. The storage of this kind should have the device for movement of forced-air and exhaust streams of air, false floors for strengthening of process of ventilation of production.
Fruits semechkovy and table grapes to keep without cooling it is even more difficult. Storage of the first is based on duration of the period of ripening. The temperature is lower, the these processes more slowly proceed. Therefore, in the absence of stable cold, for long storage it is necessary to select lezhky grades of late terms of maturing.
To clean apples and pears for storage in not cooled conditions it is necessary at early stages of a demountable maturity. Most difficult without artificial cooling to keep table grapes: soft fabrics of berries are easily injured by insects, a wind during the cleaning and transportation. The juice which was allocated thus – a nutrient medium for microorganisms. For the purpose of prevention of distribution of an infection from sick berries on healthy, we recommend internal volume of a box tray to divide into cells. For winter storage it is necessary to use lezhky grades of table grapes of late terms of maturing. Periodically it is necessary to carry out fumigating of clusters by sulphurous anhydride to a storage time. For fast cooling of fruits semechkovy and grapes use temperature fall at night.
One of the major conditions defining duration of storage and size of losses – quality of production at a bookmark on storage. Any violation of integumentary fabrics promotes withering, immunity loss, rotting. Therefore at selection for long storage potatoes and vegetables, fruits and grapes should be carefully sorted. Improvement of quality of production is promoted also by timely cleaning in dry weather before frosts.
For vegetables, potatoes, semechkovy fruits and grapes, depending on a type of production and its appointment, the range of optimum temperatures in storage fluctuates from-3 to 40S. In climatic conditions of the Crimea such temperatures during the whole period of storage can be created only with application of artificial cold. On the most part of the territory of the Crimea (except for the Southern coast) daily average air temperature close to 00S (is more often 2÷40S) remains no more than 60 days in a year. Therefore the cardinal solution of a question of long storage of fruits, grapes, vegetables and potatoes in the Crimea is possible only in cooled storages refrigerators.
Came to solve time a question of collective restoration by group of farmers or private agricultural producers of refrigerating capacities available in rent, refrigerating chambers or to build new industrial refrigerators for storage of fruit-and-vegetable production. As the market is already saturated the cooling equipment and construction designs which it is possible to establish in available rooms or to mount independently.
Starting construction of the refrigerator or reconstruction of available rooms under refrigerating chambers, it is necessary to consider the following:
1. Type of production. Vegetable production differs on insistence to a temperature mode and relative humidity of air in storage. At the majority of vegetables at joint storage of production commodity and consumer qualities decrease. It is not recommended to keep in one chamber with vegetables and fruits onions and garlic as their persistent pungent smell is perceived by other production. Potatoes can be stored in one room with carrots and a beet, cabbage – separately from other vegetables.
2. Production volume. The sizes of refrigerating chambers depend on volume of grown-up production and capacity of refrigerating units.
3. Realization terms. Long storage provides all-the-year-round receipt of fresh production to the consumer. For this purpose it is necessary to provide high-quality structure of vegetable cultures, crops landing terms, optimum terms of cleaning for a laying of a crop on short-term and long storage.
4. Duration of storage. The expense of energy carriers depends on this factor. During the summer and early and autumn periods in refrigerating chambers for short-term storage it is necessary to put perishable, exacting production to storage conditions – tomatoes, pepper, cucumbers, vegetable marrows, eggplants, a garden radish. For them, for the purpose of economy of the electric power, it is better to provide chambers in volume of 10-30 t, depending on quantity of made production. During the winter period such chambers use for parties of vegetables or the fruit possessing higher lezhkost and intended for the latest terms of realization.
5. Way of warehousing. Vegetables at storage take place in the navalny way on a floor, on racks or in container. Costs of acquisition of container are very considerable. At a navalny way the bulk density of 1 m3 production is defined with volume weight of 1 m3 vegetables. Efficiency of the cooled area count taking into account a type of production and used container.
6. Possibility of application of means of mechanization. In a refrigerating economy cargo handling, sorting, packing and other mechanisms and cars can be applied. Application of mechanization provides existence of the corresponding rooms, allows to increase building height, to reduce the construction area, to apply large-sized container, to reduce expenses of a hand labor, to increase quality of production.
7. Control and registration of factors of storage. The temperature and humidity of air in chambers should be supervised systematically by special devices, and their indications to be registered in documents. As a rule, this equipment is completed with refrigeration units.
8. Accounting of movement of production. Possibility of the quantitative accounting of production at a bookmark and realization provides existence of a weight economy which is regularly checked.
9. Qualification of the service personnel. The organization of a refrigerating economy demands a certain knowledge in the field which are got during study or training.
V.Turbin, Doctor of Engineering, professor, head of the department of the production technology, storage and processing of production of vegetable growing and YuF "KATU" NAU standardization;
N. Korniyenko, candidate of agricultural sciences, associate professor of the production technology, storage and processing of production of vegetable growing and YuF "KATU" NAU standardization;
G. Tsyplyak, director general of Association of vegetable growers of the Crimea.