JP7132573B2 - Agricultural product storage method for preventing low temperature injury and low temperature injury prevention device using the method - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method for storing agricultural products that prevents low temperature damage and a low temperature damage prevention device according to the method.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, it is important to maintain the freshness of agricultural products such as flowers, fruits, and vegetables immediately after harvesting as much as possible in order not to lower their commercial value in the market.

In general, agricultural products undergo various types of deterioration immediately after harvest, such as respiratory deterioration due to accelerated respiration that consumes nutrients, putrefaction deterioration due to the growth of microorganisms such as mold and bacteria, and dry deterioration due to a decrease in moisture content due to transpiration. begin.

Among the various deterioration factors of agricultural products, for example, respiratory deterioration can be suppressed by putting the agricultural products into a low-temperature dormant state with a cooling device such as a cold storage box or a refrigerator. By filling the storage room with gaseous moisture (hereinafter simply referred to as steam-containing air) using an evaporative humidifier, the transpiration of agricultural products is suppressed while eliminating the liquid moisture that becomes a hotbed for mold and bacteria. There are various techniques for maintaining the freshness of agricultural products (see Patent Document 1, for example).

JP-A-2008-275301

By the way, the agricultural products stored in the storage room are, for example, cucumbers, eggplants, and other cold-sensitive agricultural products that are highly sensitive to low temperatures and are damaged by cold stress (hereinafter simply referred to as cold-sensitive agricultural products). It is roughly divided into cold-insensitive agricultural products (hereinafter simply referred to as non-sensitive agricultural products) that do not suffer from

For non-susceptible agricultural products, the optimal temperature range for long-term storage (hereinafter simply referred to as the optimal storage temperature range) is about 0 to 7°C. may cause respiratory deterioration.

On the other hand, the optimal storage temperature range for susceptible agricultural products is about 8 to 12°C, and if stored in a temperature range lower than this, it promotes dormancy and suppresses respiratory deterioration, but accelerates water loss in the pulp tissue. drying and deterioration.

In other words, susceptible agricultural products are hypersensitive to the humidity drop that accompanies the low temperature zone. may occur.

In this way, it is conceivable to store sensitive agricultural products and non-susceptible agricultural products with different optimal storage temperature zones in separate storage rooms suitable for each optimal storage temperature zone, but this requires more storage space. Not only does this increase management costs, such as the need for an extra cooling device, but it also increases the time and effort required to store each type of agricultural product in its own storage room, resulting in a decrease in the efficiency of agricultural product storage operations.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances. While suppressing rotten deterioration and drying deterioration as much as possible, especially low temperature damage of low temperature sensitive agricultural products can be suppressed as much as possible, the freshness of agricultural products in general can be maintained well, management costs can be reduced and storage To provide a method for preventing low temperature damage to agricultural products, which can simplify work.

In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention provides: (1) Low temperature injury prevention device for storing low temperature sensitive agricultural products and low temperature insensitive agricultural products in the same room. The low temperature damage prevention device includes a storage room for storing low temperature sensitive agricultural products and low temperature insensitive agricultural products in the same room at a temperature of about 0 to 7 ° C, and a predetermined a humidifier installed at a position and configured to be able to switch between steam-containing air having a relative humidity of 90 to 100% and liquid water; A sensitive agricultural product installation part that enables installation of sensitive agricultural products and allows liquid water generated from the humidifier to come into contact with the surface of the low temperature sensitive agricultural products, and a low temperature insensitive agricultural product that is arranged at a remote position from the humidifier and can be installed. In addition, by providing a non-sensitive agricultural product installation part that does not contact the surface of the same low temperature-insensitive agricultural product with liquid water generated from a humidifier, the surface of the low temperature-sensitive agricultural product has a relative humidity of 90 to 100%. Air containing water vapor is supplied and liquid water is brought into contact with the surface of the low temperature insensitive agricultural products. To provide a method for storing agricultural products that prevents low temperature damage, characterized in that it is possible to suppress low temperature damage of low temperature sensitive agricultural products in an environment in which both are stored at the same time .

Further, in the present invention, there is provided a low-temperature damage prevention device according to the method for storing low-temperature damage to agricultural products according to (1), wherein a low-temperature-sensitive agricultural product and a low-temperature-insensitive agricultural product are stored in the same room at a temperature of about 0 to 7°C. and a humidifier installed at a predetermined position in the storage room and configured to switch between air containing water vapor with a relative humidity of 90 to 100% and liquid water, and the storage room is equipped with a humidifier A sensitive produce installation unit that is arranged near the position from the humidifier and allows the installation of the cold-sensitive produce and allows the liquid water from the humidifier to come into contact with the surface of the cold-sensitive produce, and the humidifier. A low temperature hazard prevention device is provided, comprising: a non-sensitive produce installation part that allows installation of low temperature insensitive produce and keeps liquid water from a humidifier out of contact with the surface of the low temperature insensitive produce.

According to the invention of claim 1, the low-temperature-sensitive agricultural products are placed in a storage environment of about 0 to 7°C and brought into contact with liquid water together with steam-containing air having a relative humidity of 90 to 100%. Therefore, even in the temperature range of about 0 to 7°C, where the susceptible produce inherently causes chilling injury, the entire surface of the susceptible produce is covered with water vapor-containing air with a relative humidity of 90 to 100% to protect the susceptible produce. By supplying liquid water from the surface of susceptible agricultural products that tend to lose moisture while suppressing water loss due to transpiration from the inside of the pulp tissue to the outside, cold injury is suppressed and susceptible agricultural products are kept in a good state of freshness. can be stored for a long period of time.

In addition , in a storage environment of about 0 to 7 ° C, which functions to maintain the freshness of each agricultural product, cold-sensitive agricultural products that are sensitive to low temperatures and cold-insensitive agricultural products that are not sensitive to low temperatures. By supplying steam-containing air with a relative humidity of 90 to 100% and bringing it into contact with liquid water, and by mainly supplying steam-containing air with a relative humidity of 90 to 100% to the surface of the low-temperature-insensitive agricultural products, Even if sensitive produce and non-susceptible produce are stored together in the same storage room temperature-controlled in the temperature range of about 0 to 7°C, that is, the optimal storage temperature range for non-susceptible produce, In addition to preventing deterioration, it is possible to suppress the low temperature damage of susceptible agricultural products as much as possible by supplying liquid water, so that the freshness of both agricultural products can be maintained well, the management cost can be reduced, and the storage work can be simplified. There is

In other words, the non-susceptible agricultural products and the susceptible agricultural products are adapted to the optimum storage temperature zone for the non-susceptible agricultural products to suppress respiratory deterioration of both agricultural products as much as possible, and the surface of both agricultural products contains water vapor at a relative humidity of 90 to 100%. It is possible to suppress putrefaction deterioration and dry deterioration as much as possible by contacting with air, and furthermore, by bringing liquid water into contact with the surface of susceptible agricultural products, it is possible to suppress low temperature injury of susceptible agricultural products as much as possible.

Therefore, it is not necessary to prepare separate storage rooms for non-susceptible agricultural products and susceptible agricultural products, each of which is controlled in its own optimum temperature zone. This has the effect of reducing the storage cost of agricultural products.

Further, according to the invention of claim 2 , the storage room for storing the low- temperature sensitive agricultural products and the low-temperature insensitive agricultural products in the same room at a temperature of about 0 to 7 ° C. and the storage room installed at a predetermined position in the storage room and a humidifier capable of switching between steam-containing air with a relative humidity of 90 to 100% and liquid water, and the storage room is arranged in the vicinity of the humidifier and can be used to install cold-sensitive agricultural products. and a sensitive agricultural product installation unit that allows liquid water generated from the humidifier to come into contact with the surface of the low temperature sensitive agricultural product, and a low temperature insensitive agricultural product that is disposed at a remote position from the humidifier and can install the low temperature insensitive agricultural product. Since it is equipped with a non-susceptible agricultural product installation part that does not contact the liquid water generated from the humidifier on the surface of the non-susceptible agricultural product, while effectively utilizing the space in the storage room, It is possible to suppress the respiratory deterioration of both agricultural products as much as possible by adapting to the optimum storage temperature zone, and to sufficiently contact the surface of both agricultural products with water vapor containing air with a relative humidity of 90 to 100% to prevent spoilage deterioration and dry deterioration. Furthermore, it has the effect of suppressing low temperature damage as much as possible by bringing liquid water into contact with the surface of sensitive agricultural products, and keeping both agricultural products in a good state of freshness.

1 is a system diagram showing a schematic configuration of an entire storage room equipped with a humidifier used in the method for preventing low-temperature damage according to the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing the overall configuration of a storage room equipped with a humidifier used in the method for preventing low temperature injury according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view and a schematic partially enlarged plan view showing the structure of the same direction filter pattern of the porous filter block of the humidifier used in the low temperature injury prevention method of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view and a schematic partially enlarged plan view showing the configuration of the anisotropic filter pattern of the porous filter block of the humidifier used in the low temperature injury prevention method of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a porous filter block of a humidifier according to another embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing the inflow form of water vapor-containing air from a humidifier used in the low temperature injury prevention method of the present invention to a storage room. 1 is a flow diagram of a low temperature injury prevention method of the present invention; FIG.

The gist of the present invention is that a cold-sensitive agricultural product is placed in a storage environment of about 0 to 7° C. and brought into contact with liquid water together with water vapor-containing air having a relative humidity of 90 to 100%. To provide a method for preventing low temperature damage to agricultural products characterized by preservation.

In addition, in a storage environment of about 0 to 7 ° C, which functions to preserve the freshness of low-temperature sensitive agricultural products that are sensitive to low temperatures and low-temperature insensitive agricultural products that are not sensitive to low temperatures, relative to the surface of low-temperature sensitive agricultural products. By supplying steam-containing air with a humidity of 90 to 100% and bringing it into contact with liquid water, and by mainly supplying steam-containing air with a relative humidity of 90 to 100% to the surface of the low-temperature-insensitive agricultural product and bringing it into contact, the low temperature It is also characterized by making it possible to suppress the chilling injury of cold-sensitive agricultural products in an environment in which both cold-sensitive agricultural products and cold-insensitive agricultural products are stored at the same time.

In addition, a low-temperature injury prevention device according to the above-described low-temperature injury prevention method, comprising: a storage room for storing low-temperature sensitive agricultural products and low-temperature insensitive agricultural products at a temperature of about 0 to 7 ° C in the same room; a humidifier installed at a predetermined position and capable of switching between steam-containing air having a relative humidity of 90 to 100% and liquid water; A sensitive agricultural product installation part that enables installation of agricultural products and allows liquid water generated from a humidifier to come into contact with the surface of the low temperature sensitive agricultural products, and a low temperature insensitive agricultural product that is disposed at a remote position from the humidifier and can be installed. and a low temperature hazard prevention device, comprising: a non-sensitive agricultural product installation part that does not contact the surface of the low temperature insensitive agricultural product with liquid water generated from a humidifier. A cold hazard prevention device is also provided.

Agricultural products to be subjected to the method for preventing low temperature injury of the present invention and the apparatus for preventing low temperature injury according to the method are intended to be both low temperature sensitive agricultural products that are sensitive to low temperature and low temperature insensitive agricultural products that are not sensitive to low temperature. , flowering plants, fruits, leafy vegetables, root vegetables, fruit vegetables, and other agriculturally harvested plants.

Cold-insensitive agricultural products are those that are relatively tolerant to cold stress and have an optimum storage temperature range of about 0 to 7°C. This includes agricultural products.

On the other hand, low-temperature sensitive agricultural products are agricultural products that are hypersensitive to humidity drops accompanying low temperature zones and are damaged by low temperature stress. This includes certain agricultural products such as green beans, sweet potatoes, plums, potatoes, pumpkins, peppers, bananas, lemons, grapefruits, pineapples, mangoes, papaya, and avocados.

When this sensitive agricultural product is placed in an environment with a temperature lower than the optimum storage temperature range of 8-12°C, although it can suppress respiratory deterioration, it loses a large amount of water in the pulp tissue and promotes drying deterioration, and the fruit surface So-called low-temperature injuries such as pitting, in which depressions such as holes and recesses occur in the fruit, and browning, in which brown tissue occurs in the pulp, occur.

With respect to such low-temperature injury of susceptible agricultural products, the present inventors have found through intensive studies that drought deterioration can be suppressed by appropriately applying liquid water to susceptible agricultural products through the cuticle layer of the plant body.

The cuticle layer, which is also called a wax layer, is a transparent film that entirely covers the outer surface of the epidermis of a plant, and is a type of plant tissue having water repellency. This cuticle layer functions to prevent the release of water from the flesh tissue of the plant body, the invasion of organisms and substances from the outside, and the damage caused by ultraviolet rays.

In other words, the present inventors discovered that the cuticle layer, which was originally thought to completely block liquid water from the outside into the pulp tissue inside the plant body, does not allow liquid water from the outside to the lower layer of the pulp tissue. The inventors discovered the "water exchange phenomenon in the cuticle layer" that allows permeation, and completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention prevents respiration deterioration, spoilage deterioration, and drying deterioration of both agricultural products even when non-sensitive agricultural products and sensitive agricultural products with different optimum storage temperature zones are stored together in a storage room controlled at a constant temperature. For sensitive agricultural products that cause low-temperature damage by promoting drying deterioration, especially in low-temperature zones, liquid water is brought into contact with the fruit as much as possible, and the "water exchange phenomenon of the cuticle layer" is used to penetrate into the pulp tissue. By directly taking in liquid water, it is intended to suppress cold injury as much as possible and to preserve the freshness of the whole agricultural product while appropriately preserving sensitive agricultural products.

The storage room may be any refrigeration/refrigeration facility having a space for storing agricultural products, and includes, for example, transport containers and trucks with refrigeration/refrigeration functions.

In addition, although the internal volume of the storage room is not particularly limited, for example, the internal volume is approximately 1400 to 1500 m ³ for large storage rooms, approximately 500 to 700 m ³ for medium storage rooms, and approximately 10 to 50 m ³ for small storage rooms. can be adopted. In addition, if the storage room has a height of about 3 to 7m, convective air can be easily circulated inside the storage room. In addition, in the case of a large storage room, two or more humidifiers, which will be described later, should be installed in order to quickly create a saturated atmosphere with a relative humidity of 90 to 100%.

In addition, a refrigerating device for refrigerating agricultural products maintains the internal temperature at around 5°C, specifically about 0-7°C, preferably 3-5°C, which is the optimum storage temperature range for non-sensitive agricultural products.

The method of supplying liquid water for contacting the outer surface of the susceptible agricultural product and supplying it to the inside of the pulp tissue of the plant through the "cuticle water exchange phenomenon" includes, for example, the immersion supply method of immersing in water in a water tank, , a watering supply method using a shower, a spraying supply method using a mist, and a covering supply method involving covering with cloth or paper impregnated with water.

These liquid water supply methods promote the water exchange phenomenon through the cuticle layer for sensitive agricultural products exposed to a temperature zone lower than the optimal storage temperature zone, enabling long-term storage while maintaining the freshness of the agricultural products. It is possible to provide the market with high-quality agricultural products that retain their beautiful appearance.

Humidifiers generate water-vapor-laden air with a relative humidity of 90-100% for contact with the outer surfaces of both non-susceptible and susceptible produce to combat spoilage and dry deterioration. That is, by replacing the air in the storage room with air containing water vapor, the room becomes a saturated steam atmosphere with a relative humidity of 90 to 100%, and the water vapor containing air with a relative humidity of 90 to 100% is brought into contact with both agricultural products.

Humidifiers include, for example, a heating type that humidifies by evaporating water, a mist type that humidifies by atomizing water, an ultrasonic type that humidifies by forcibly vaporizing water with ultrasonic vibration, and a Any vaporization method in which cooling air is forcibly vaporized and humidified may be used. Among these humidifiers, it is preferable to adopt a vaporization type humidifier in order to prevent material deterioration such as rotting deterioration and water wetting of corrugated cardboard storing agricultural products.

In particular, the low-temperature damage prevention device according to the method for preventing low-temperature damage of the present invention communicates with a storage room that is kept cooled to about 0 to 7 ° C., which is the optimum storage temperature range for non-sensitive agricultural products, and stores fruits, vegetables, etc. in the storage room. Among agricultural products, the surfaces of non-susceptible agricultural products and susceptible agricultural products are brought into contact with water vapor-containing air with a relative humidity of 90 to 100% to suppress spoilage deterioration and dry deterioration, and to bring the surface of susceptible agricultural products into contact with liquid moisture as appropriate. , a humidifier that can switch between steam-containing air and liquid water, that is, switch between a vaporization type and a mist type.

As a result, even when non-susceptible agricultural products and susceptible agricultural products are stored in an environment controlled around 5°C, which is the optimum storage temperature zone that functions to maintain the freshness of non-susceptible agricultural products, the surface of both agricultural products In addition to contacting water vapor-containing air with a humidity of 90 to 100%, the surface of susceptible agricultural products can be appropriately contacted with liquid moisture.

Among the agricultural products stored at low temperature, such as cherry and loquat, fruit cracking damage occurs under low temperature conditions such as low temperature storage after harvesting, low temperature distribution process, and display at sales stores (hereinafter referred to as It is also simply called cracked fruit agricultural products.).

The present inventor presumes that the cracking of the cracked fruit is caused by the water exchange phenomenon through the cuticle layer as described above. In other words, the water exchange phenomenon in the cuticle layer is determined by the osmotic pressure difference between the inside and outside of the body and the frequency of contact with water. It is speculated that the bursting injury occurs due to the abnormal increase in turgor pressure when the speed is increased.

For this reason, cracked agricultural products should be dried with cloth to prevent liquid moisture from adhering to the outer surface of the agricultural products when moving from a low temperature environment to a normal temperature environment or when applying liquid moisture to low temperature sensitive agricultural products. Encapsulate with a dressing consisting of a filter.

An embodiment of the low temperature damage prevention method will be described below. In addition, below, [1. Low temperature damage prevention device], [2. Performance test of low temperature damage prevention device], [3. Low temperature injury prevention method], [4. Effect Verification Test of Low Temperature Damage Prevention Method].

[1. Low temperature damage prevention device]
A low temperature hazard prevention device according to the low temperature hazard prevention method of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing the schematic configuration of the low temperature hazard prevention device, FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the low temperature hazard prevention device, and FIGS. FIG. 4(a) and FIG. 4(b) are a perspective view and a schematic partially enlarged plan view showing the configuration of the same-direction filter pattern of the filter block, respectively, showing the configuration of the opposite-direction filter pattern of the porous filter block of the humidifier. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a porous filter block of a humidifier according to another embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the flow of water vapor-containing air from the humidifier to the storage chamber. It is a schematic side view showing. In the figure, symbol G1 is dry air that is not humidified by a humidifier, symbol G2 is water vapor-containing air generated by passing through a porous filter block with a co-directional filter pattern, and symbol G3 is passing through a non-directional filter pattern. and the mist-containing air generated by

The low temperature damage prevention device B (hereinafter also simply referred to as the device B) according to the present embodiment is, as shown in FIG. A storage room 1 for cold storage in the same room at a temperature of ° C., and a humidifier 2 installed at a predetermined position in the storage room and capable of switching between steam-containing air and liquid water.

As shown in FIG. 2, the storage room 1 has a rectangular storage room main body 10 having a predetermined space in which agricultural products N such as susceptible agricultural products SN and insensitive agricultural products IN can be placed and stored, and and a cooling device 11 for cooling the agricultural product N. As shown in FIG. 2, a door 12 for loading and unloading agricultural products N is provided on one side of the main body 10 of the storage room so that it can be opened and closed.

The humidifier 2, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, has a steam generating case 3 having a hollow rectangular box shape, an air intake mechanism 4 for taking in air, and is provided in communication with the air intake mechanism 4. It is composed of a porous filter block 5 and a water spraying mechanism 6 for spraying the porous filter block 5 with water.

The air intake mechanism 4 includes an air intake hole formed in one side surface of the case for sucking air outside the steam generating case 3 into the steam generating case 3 and a case for discharging the air inside the case to the storage chamber 1 . It is composed of an air discharge hole formed on the other side surface and a blower fan 40 provided on the side of the air discharge hole.

As shown in FIG. 1, the water spraying mechanism 6 includes a water tank 60 arranged at the bottom of the case below the porous filter block 5, a water spraying pipe 61 arranged above the porous filter block 5, and a water pump. and a circulation pipe 63 for drawing up and circulating water from the water tank 60 to the sprinkler pipe 61 via 62 .

In addition, the porous filter block 5 is formed by forming the porous sheets 50 and 50 ′ into corrugated shapes and laminating a large number of the porous sheets 50 and 50 ′ while maintaining a constant interval. The wavy rear surface of the porous sheet 50 arranged on the most upstream side of the porous sheets 50 and 50' serves as an air receiving surface for the air flowing in from the air intake holes.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3(a) to 4(b), the porous filter block 5 has porous sheets 50 and 50′ formed in a wavy shape to maintain a constant interval in plan view. A case in which a large number of porous sheets 50 and 50 ′ are laminated and configured as a same-direction filter pattern in which the directions of the waveforms of the laminated porous sheets 50 and 50 ′ are arranged in the same phase, and a case where the waveform amplitude is approximately 1/2 It is possible to change the direction of the waveform to an anisotropic filter pattern in which the phases are shifted by .

That is, the porous filter block 5 is composed of two or more porous sheets 50, 50' that can be separated from each other in order to change the form of the same-direction filter pattern 5A and the opposite-direction filter pattern 5B. Either one of the porous sheets 50' is moved in parallel while maintaining the surface contact state between the plane 54 and the virtual front side plane 53', and the porous sheets 50 and 50' are relatively in the same phase/opposite phase. A filter phase changing mechanism 55 that changes its posture is provided.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the porous filter block 5 of the same-direction filter pattern 5A has a plurality of ridges 51 of the porous sheet 50 on the upstream side and a plurality of ridges 51 of the porous sheet 50' on the downstream side. ' and the plurality of valleys 52 of the porous sheet 50 on the upstream side and the plurality of valleys 52' of the porous sheet 50' on the downstream side are opposed to each other, and the porous sheet 50 on the upstream side and the porous sheet 50 on the downstream side are opposed to each other. A substantially snake-shaped blowing space 5A-1 in a sheet end surface view (plan view) is continuously formed in the left-right direction between the porous sheet 50'. The width of the blowing space 5A-1 (the width of the gap between the facing surfaces of the two porous sheets 50, 50') is approximately 5 to 15 mm.

The porous filter block 5 of the anisotropic filter pattern 5B, as shown in FIG. ' and the plurality of ridges 51 of the porous sheet 50 on the upstream side and the plurality of valleys 52' of the porous sheet 50' on the downstream side are opposed to each other, and the porous sheet 50 on the upstream side and the Between the porous sheet 50' on the downstream side, a plurality of substantially diamond-shaped closed spaces 5B-1 in a sheet end surface view (plan view) are partitioned along the left-right direction.

The filter phase changing mechanism 55 supports one of the porous sheets 50, 50' constituting the porous filter block 5 as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 4(a). A sheet fixing portion 56 for fixing the same sheet in an immovable state, supports the other porous sheet 50', and adjusts the phase of the other porous sheet 50' to the same phase based on the phase of the one porous sheet 50. and a sheet moving portion 57 that displaces and moves in the opposite phase.

The filter phase changing mechanism 55 supports the other porous sheet 50' based on the phase of one of the porous sheets 50 supported by the sheet fixing portion 56, and changes the phase of the sheet 50' to the same phase or the opposite phase. There is no particular limitation as long as it can be displaced. For example, the seat moving portion 57 may be configured and constructed to be movable by a rack and pinion, or a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder.

The sheet moving portion 57 of this embodiment includes a U-shaped frame body that opens upward in cross section to which the porous sheet 50' can be fitted, and a tooth surface on the lower bottom surface along the length of the lower bottom surface of the frame body. and a pinion portion which is rotationally driven by a drive motor and has a tooth surface corresponding to meshing with the rack portion.

As shown in FIG. 3(b), the porous filter block 5 of the same direction filter pattern 5A produces a Venturi effect by the inflow air G1 flowing into the troughs 52 of the porous sheet 50 on the upstream side. The liquid moisture impregnated in the block 5 is forcibly drawn out and gradually vaporized, and brought into contact with the outer surfaces of both the non-susceptible agricultural product IN and the sensitive agricultural product SN to prevent putrefaction deterioration and dry deterioration as much as possible. A suppressed water vapor-laden air G2 is produced. The steam-containing air G2 is moist air containing saturated air and having a relative humidity of 90 to 100%.

On the other hand, the anisotropic filter pattern 5B of the porous filter block 5, as shown in FIG. The impregnated water is pumped directly to the downstream side and brought into contact with the outer surface of the susceptible agricultural product to suppress the low temperature injury of the susceptible agricultural product as much as possible. A mist-containing air G3 is generated as liquid water.

In this manner, the humidifier 2 is configured so that the filter pattern of the porous filter block 5 can be switched between the same phase and the opposite phase. A certain steam-containing air G2 can be generated by switching.

As another example, the porous filter block 500 has a corrugated structure in which peaks 511 and valleys 512 extending radially from the center of the axis are alternately formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, as shown in FIG. A large number of porous sheets 510, 510' having a perfect circular shape in a front view can be arranged side by side on the same axis.

In addition, the humidifier 2, as shown in FIG. 6, makes the inflow form of the generated water vapor-containing air G2 into the storage chamber 1 into a three-layer upper and lower flow, and the middle laminar flow CF is a high-humidity upper and lower laminar flow UF, DF. It is configured to have low humidity compared to

Specifically, in the air intake mechanism 4 arranged in the humidifier 2, as shown in FIG. By arranging the shaft 43 so as to be on the same axis, the relative humidity is lower than the upper and lower laminar flows UF and DF consisting of the airflow of the water vapor-containing air G2 whose relative humidity is increased when blown. It is configured to generate an intermediate laminar flow CF consisting of an air flow.

In the humidifier 2 having such a configuration, the water vapor-containing air G2 generated by passing through the porous filter block 5 of the same-direction filter pattern 5A formed three flow layers from the air discharge holes 30 due to the rotation of the air intake mechanism 4. expelled by airflow.

That is, when the air intake mechanism 4 blows the water vapor-containing air G2 to the air discharge hole, the inner peripheral side air current passing near the hub 41 of the air intake mechanism 4 and the propeller 42 supported around the hub 41 It is divided into an outer peripheral side air current passing through the vicinity of the periphery.

Further, the outer peripheral surface of the hub 41 of the air intake mechanism 4 is heated by the heat generated by the rotational driving of the built-in driving portion 41a. The heat generation temperature of the outer peripheral surface of the hub 41 is about 50-70°C.

That is, the inner peripheral side airflow of the water vapor-containing air G2 flowing along the hub 41 was heated and evaporated by the hub 41 in a high temperature state, and the relative humidity was lowered from about 90-100% to about 50-80%. The intermediate laminar flow CF is discharged from the central portion of the rectangular window-shaped air discharge hole 30 .

On the other hand, the outer peripheral airflow passing around the propeller 42 on the radially outer side of the hub 41 is not subject to the heating and evaporation effect of the hub 41, and is a high-humidity vertical laminar flow UF that maintains a relative humidity of approximately 90 to 100%. , DF and is discharged from the upper and lower portions of the rectangular window-shaped air discharge hole 30 .

The hub 41 may have a plurality of recessed grooves formed on its outer peripheral surface to maximize the contact area with the steam-containing air G2.

Specifically, the groove is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the hub 41 in a tangential direction formed by the rotation of the propeller 42, that is, along the extension direction of the hub 41, thereby reducing the flow velocity of the water vapor-containing air G2 as much as possible. It is possible to form an intermediate laminar flow CF with a relative humidity of about 50 to 80%.

On the other hand, the concave groove portion is formed extending in a direction perpendicular to the tangential direction formed by the rotation of the propeller 42, that is, in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the hub 41, thereby reducing the flow velocity of the water vapor-containing air G2 and further lowering the relative humidity. An intermediate laminar flow CF can be formed.

In this way, the storage chamber 1 can always be maintained in a saturated steam atmosphere by the high-humidity upper and lower laminar flows UF and DF, thereby preventing agricultural products from drying out and deteriorating. In addition, the intermediate laminar flow CF, which has a lower humidity than the upper and lower laminar flows UF and DF, evaporates liquid moisture such as dew condensation attached to the floor and walls of the storage room 1 near the humidifier, thereby preventing spoilage and deterioration of agricultural products. can be prevented.

Further, the air intake mechanism 4 discharges and generates water vapor-containing air G2 from the air discharge hole 30 at a wind speed of 0.5 m/s to 7.0 m/s in the same direction filter pattern 5A, and mist-containing air G3 in the opposite direction filter pattern 5B. The wind speed is variable so that the discharge is generated at a wind speed of 1.5m/s to 8.0m/s.

In the same direction filter pattern 5A, if the wind speed is slower than 0.5 m/s, the evaporation of moisture is not properly performed, and if the wind speed is faster than 7.0 m/s, the amount of air for the amount of evaporation of moisture is too large, and water vapor There is a possibility that the included air G2 cannot be generated appropriately.

In addition, in the anisotropic filter pattern 5B, the liquid water impregnated in the filter cannot be blown away at a wind speed lower than 1.5 m/s, and the device may malfunction at a wind speed higher than 8.0 m/s. There is a possibility that the contained air G3 cannot be generated appropriately.

Further, as another embodiment, the sprinkler mechanism 6 may be configured to communicate with a drain circulation device 7 separately arranged either inside or outside the storage room 1 .

The drain circulating device 7 further cools the drain generated inside the cooling device 11 during the cooling operation of the cooling device 11 and uses it as a coolant (cooling drain) to cool the outside air with the coolant and condense the water vapor in the outside air. It is constructed so that the liquid water obtained by the above process can be used as a water collection drain W3 for spraying the porous filter block 5 with water.

That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the drain circulation device 7 includes a drain pipe 71 arranged in a drain case 70, an outside air blowing mechanism 72 for blowing outside air to the drain pipe 71, and a storage chamber 1 to the drain pipe 71. A drain circulating pipe 73 for circulating the cooling drain R1 from the cooling device 11 used for cooling, and a drain circulating pipe 73 arranged at the bottom of the drain case 70 and arranged at a position below the drain pipe 71, and at the outer periphery of the drain pipe 71 A drain collection tray 74 for collecting the dripping drain W2 generated from the outside air, and a drain water supply for feeding the water collection drain W3 from the drain collection tray 74 to the sprinkler mechanism 6 of the porous filter block 5 in the humidifier 2. and a pipe 75 .

Reference numeral 76 in FIG. 1 denotes a cooling drain generator for cooling the drain discharged from the drain outlet of the cooling device 11 to generate cooling drain R1, and reference numeral R2 in FIG. is the drain after heat exchange in the drain case.

The drain pipe 71 communicates with the distal end of the drain circulation pipe 73 at its proximal end and with the drain return pipe 77 at its terminal end. A reflux pump P is disposed in the middle of the drain return pipe 77 to circulate the cooling drain R1 into the pipe.

That is, the drain circulation device 7 is a substantially annular drain circulation pipe that circulates the cooling drain R1 supplied from the cooling device 11 in the pipe provided in the middle by connecting the pipes 71, 73, and 77 to each other. 78.

In other words, as shown in FIG. 1, the drain return pipe 78 is exposed outside the storage chamber main body 10 as well as the indoor exposed portion exposed inside the storage chamber main body 10 with one side wall of the storage chamber main body 10 as a boundary. A portion of the drain distribution pipe 73 and the drain return pipe 77 corresponding to the indoor exposed portion is used as a cooling drain generating portion 76, and the portion of the outdoor exposed portion inserted into the drain case 70 is used. It is formed as a drain pipe 71 .

The outside air blowing mechanism 72 is provided at the lower part of one side wall of the case, and has an outside air intake port for taking in outside air into the case 70 . It is composed of an outlet and a blower 72a provided at a predetermined position in the case for blowing the outside air to the drain pipe 71 and sucking and discharging the outside air into and out of the case.

The cooling drain R1 as a refrigerant is a liquid that cannot be directly used as watering for the humidifier 2, such as industrial wastewater, low-temperature seawater, etc. Alternatively, contaminated water containing oil or organic solvent components can be used.

The drain circulating device 7 configured in this way has the effect of saving the water supplied from the water source to the water spraying mechanism 6 by using the water collection drain W3 obtained from the outside air for watering the porous filter block 5 .

As another embodiment, the humidifier 2, as shown in FIG. A rapid humidification mechanism 8 may be provided to enable rapid humidification of the interior of the storage chamber 1 by increasing the vapor-containing air pressure by maintaining a temperature about 10 to 45° C. higher than the storage chamber 1 .

The rapid humidification mechanism 8 is, as shown in FIG. and a hot water generating heater 81 for generating hot water having a temperature about 10 to 45° C. higher than the temperature in the storage room 1 . Although the hot water generating heater 81 of this embodiment is provided in the middle of the hot water supply pipe 80 , it may be provided inside the water tank 60 .

With the rapid humidification mechanism 8 having such a configuration, the internal environment of the storage room 1 can be improved when the interior of the storage room 1 is in a low humidity atmosphere, such as when the humidifier 2 is in operation or when the air containing water vapor is lost during the work of taking in and out agricultural products. The humidifier 2 can create a saturated steam atmosphere as quickly as possible, and has the effect of reliably preventing drying and deterioration of the entire agricultural product.

In addition, the rapid humidification mechanism 8 is not always operated, but when the inside of the storage room 1 becomes low humidity, such as when humidification starts in the storage room 1 or when water vapor in the storage room 1 is lost due to opening and closing work. It is preferably used when rapid humidification is required.

As shown in FIG. is installed in In contrast to the humidifier 2, the cooling device 11 is suspended from the ceiling near the wall facing the loading/unloading door 12. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, each of the susceptible agricultural products SN and the non-susceptible agricultural products IN is stored in a rectangular container 16 configured to be stackable. A plurality of containers 16 are stacked on the installation portion 15 .

The container 16 for storing susceptible agricultural products SN is a mesh container 160 with an upper opening, and the mesh container 160 has a bottom side wall and four side walls composed of grid plates 160a having a plurality of grid holes. Via the lattice holes in the container, the space inside the container and the outside space are communicated to ensure ventilation.

On the other hand, the container 16 for storing the non-sensitive produce IN is a so-called general container 161 with an upper opening. The space inside the container can be communicated with the outside space only at the opening.

In addition, the storage room 1 is arranged near the humidifier 2 as shown in FIG. and a non-sensitive agricultural product installation unit 15, which is arranged at a remote position from the humidifier 2, enables installation of the non-sensitive agricultural product IN, and makes the liquid water G3 from the humidifier 2 non-contact. and

The sensitive agricultural product installation unit 14 and the non-susceptible agricultural product installation unit 15 maintain a certain distance from the humidifier 2 according to the scattering distance of the droplets of the liquid water G3 discharged from the humidifier 2, respectively. The surface 13 is formed with a stepped portion having a predetermined height. In addition, the scattering distance of the liquid water G droplets depends on the air blowing capacity of the humidifier 2, but in the humidifier 2 of this embodiment, the mist-containing air G3 is scattered about 0.3 to 2.2 m at a wind speed of 8.0 to 1.5 m / s. It is configured to be the distance.

That is, the susceptible produce installation unit 14 maintains a constant distance between the susceptible produce installation unit 14 and the humidifier 2 so that the liquid water G3 discharged from the humidifier 2 substantially reaches the susceptible produce SN. , is formed on the floor surface of the storage chamber main body 10 in front of the air discharge hole 30 of the humidifier 2 . The constant distance between the sensitive produce placement section 14 and the humidifier 2 in this embodiment is approximately 0.1 m to 2.0 m.

In addition, the non-sensitive agricultural product installation unit 15 is arranged such that the fixed distance between the non-sensitive agricultural product installation unit 15 and the humidifier 2 is such that the liquid water G3 discharged from the humidifier 2 does not substantially reach the non-sensitive agricultural product IN. is formed on the floor surface of the storage chamber main body 10 behind the non-sensitive produce placement section 15. As shown in FIG. In addition, the fixed distance between the non-sensitive produce placement unit 15 and the humidifier 2 in this embodiment is approximately 2.0 m to 4.0 m.

These susceptible agricultural product installation unit 14 and non-susceptible agricultural product installation unit 15 are provided on the floor surface 13 of the storage chamber main body 10 at a certain distance from the humidifier 2 to indicate the installation positions of the susceptible agricultural product SN and the non-susceptible agricultural product IN, respectively. It is configured by providing positioning means 17 .

The positioning means 17 can be configured by, for example, displaying on the floor 13 an installation mark of a rectangular section in a plan view that indicates the installation range of the container 16 . The positioning means 17 of the present embodiment is constructed by laying a flat-plate agricultural product placement table 170 having a predetermined thickness on the floor surface 13 of the storage chamber main body 10 at a constant distance from the humidifier 2 .

As another embodiment, the sensitive produce installation section 14 has the produce placement table 170 as the positioning means 17 formed with an inclined surface that is inclined in a certain direction, and the inclined surface is inclined in the installation direction of the humidifier 2 . may be laid on the floor surface 13 of the main body 10 of the storage room.

[2. Performance test of low temperature damage prevention device]
A test of the ability to generate steam-containing air by the low-temperature damage prevention device will be described below. In this test, a humidifier was installed in a small storage room with a capacity of approximately 33 m ³ and a relative humidity of 25%, 3 to 5°C, and a relatively sealed state. The change in relative humidity over time was measured by a humidity measuring instrument until the atmosphere reached 100% saturated steam.

As test plots for humidifiers communicating with the storage room, verification plot A with a built-in porous filter block and verification plot B without a porous filter block were used.

In the verification area B, only the blower fan was operated, and the water supply pump to the sprinkler pipe was stopped. In each verification zone, the wind speed was kept constant, and the relative humidity in the storage room was measured with a humidity meter every minute after the device started operation. Table 1 shows the results.

According to Table 1, in verification area A, the relative humidity in the storage room began to rise significantly compared to verification area B immediately after operation with the same direction filter pattern. The relative humidity in the storage room reached about 90% (indicated by the dashed line in Table 1) about 13 minutes after the apparatus started operating, and reached 100% about 20 minutes after the operation. After 20 minutes, the relative humidity was still maintained at 100%.

As for water consumption, about 310-330g was vaporized every hour. In other words, it was found that the verification area A had a humidification capacity of 310-330 g/h in an environment of 3-5°C.

Calculating from these results, the amount of water required for a humidifier to create a saturated steam atmosphere with a relative humidity of 90-100% in a 3-5°C environment is, for example, an internal volume of 1400-1500m. 9000g to 9400g in the large storage room of No. ³ , and about 4000g to 4400g in the medium storage room with an internal volume of 500 to 700m ³ .

In addition, when switching to the anisotropic filter pattern, mist-containing air containing fine droplets of water droplets is about 0.1m to 2.0m from the air discharge hole of the humidifier at a wind speed of 1.5m/s to 8.0m/s. It was confirmed that there was some dispersion. The size of the scattered mist droplets was about 0.1 to 1.0 mm.

On the other hand, in verification area B, although the relative humidity increased, the value was significantly lower than in the other verification areas. That is, in the verification area B, the rising gradient of the relative humidity was unstable, and the maximum relative humidity remained at around 65%.

Furthermore, when the door of the storage room is opened, air containing water vapor escapes to the outside and the indoor humidity drops, and the ability to recover the humidity in the verification zone A was verified. The cooling device was turned off and the loading/unloading door of the storage room was opened until the indoor temperature reached 13 to 17°C, which was approximately the same as the outdoor temperature. Next, the loading/unloading door of the storage room was closed and the verification area A was operated, and the change in relative humidity over time was measured using a humidity measuring instrument. Table 2 shows the results.

According to Table 2, after opening the door and setting the room temperature to 13 to 17°C, after closing the door, the relative humidity in the storage room where verification area A was operated began to gradually decrease from the state of 100%, and after about 15 minutes It was around 90%. However, after that, the relative humidity began to rise almost linearly, reaching 95% about 17 minutes after the door was closed and reaching 100% about 22 minutes later.

About 2400-2500g of water was vaporized every hour. In other words, it was found that the verification zone A had a humidification capacity of 2400-2500 g/h in an environment of 13-17°C.

From these results, the amount of water required for a humidifier to create a saturated steam atmosphere with a relative humidity of 90 to 100% in an environment of 13 to 17°C is, for example, an internal volume of 1,400 to 1,500 m ³ . It is about 18300g to 18700g in a large storage room, and about 8000g to 8400g in a medium storage room with an internal volume of 500 to 700m ³ .

As described above, according to the apparatus for preventing low-temperature injury according to the present invention, a large-capacity storage room can be filled with water-vapor-containing air having a relative humidity of 90% or more in a short period of time, and the humidity lost by opening and closing the door can be eliminated. It was shown that the recovery can be accelerated and the storage chamber can be quickly returned to the saturated steam atmosphere.

[3. Low Temperature Damage Prevention Method]
Next, the method for preventing low-temperature damage to agricultural products according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the low temperature damage prevention method of this embodiment.

The low temperature damage prevention method A according to the present invention involves placing the susceptible agricultural products SN, which are sensitive to low temperatures, in a storage environment of about 5°C (0 to 7°C), and adding water vapor-containing air G2 and liquid water G3 to the susceptible agricultural products SN. The contact preserves the susceptible produce SN.

In particular, the cold injury prevention method A according to the present invention involves storing susceptible agricultural products SN and non-susceptible agricultural products IN in an environment of around 5°C (0 to 7°C), and applying water vapor-containing air G2 to the surface of the susceptible agricultural products SN. The sensitive agricultural product SN and the non-sensitive agricultural product IN are simultaneously preserved under the same environment by supplying and contacting the liquid water G3 and mainly supplying and contacting the water vapor-containing air G2 to the surface of the insensitive agricultural product IN. It is a way to

As shown in FIG. 7, this low-temperature injury prevention method A places and stores sensitive agricultural products SN and non-susceptible agricultural products N in a storage room 1 in a low-temperature environment of about 5° C. (0 to 7° C.). Step S1 for storing agricultural products; Step S2 for applying water vapor-containing air G2 with a relative humidity of 100% to the outer surface of each agricultural product N in contact with the outer surface of each agricultural product N; and step S3.

Agricultural product storage step S1 is a step of placing susceptible agricultural products SN and non-susceptible agricultural products IN in an orderly fashion on the susceptible agricultural product installation unit 14 and the non-susceptible agricultural product installation unit 15 provided in the storage room 1 according to the type of each agricultural product N. .

Specifically, the susceptible agricultural products SN are stored in a mesh container 160, and in the storage room 1, the susceptible agricultural products installation section 14 is provided on the floor 13 at the farthest position from the cooling device 11 and the closest position from the humidifier 2. to be installed.

On the other hand, the non-sensitive produce IN is stored in a mesh container 160 and installed in the non-sensitive produce installation section 15 provided in the storage room 1 at the farthest position from the humidifier 2 and the closest position from the cooling device 11 . In particular, the non-susceptible produce placement section 15 is provided on the back side of the storage room 1 via the sensitive produce placement section 14 between the humidifier 2 and the humidifier 2 .

As for cracked agricultural products such as cherries and loquats, as described above, they are covered with a covering material for suppressing the water exchange phenomenon of the cuticle layer, and placed on the susceptible agricultural product installation section 14 away from the humidifier 2. do.

In the steam-containing air providing step S2, the inside of the storage room 1 is filled with the steam-containing air G2 by the humidifier 2 to make the room a saturated steam atmosphere with a relative humidity of 90 to 100%, and the agricultural product N placed in the storage room 1 is In this step, the water vapor-containing air G2 with a relative humidity of 90 to 100% is brought into constant contact with the substrate.

When the humidifier 2 is used, the step S2 of supplying the air containing water vapor is to switch the porous filter block 5 of the humidifier 2 to the same direction filter pattern 5A to vaporize the impregnated water by the same porous filter block 5 to produce water vapor. A step S2-1 for generating steam-containing air to generate steam-containing air G2, and filling the storage chamber 1 with steam-containing air G2 generated by the humidifier 2 to make the inside of the storage room with a relative humidity of 90 to 100% a saturated steam atmosphere. and a saturated steam atmosphere forming step S2-2.

In the water vapor-containing air generation step S2-1, the porous filter block 5 of the humidifier 2 is switched to the same direction filter pattern 5A by the filter phase changing mechanism 55, and a low-temperature cooled 5°C (0 ~7°C) dry air is sent by the air intake mechanism 4 to the porous filter block 5 impregnated with water sprinkled from the sprinkler mechanism 6 to generate steam-containing air by the venturi effect. Note that the steam-containing air generation step S2-1 in the steam-containing air providing step S2 may be replaced with a rapid humidification step S2-1a in which the rapid humidification mechanism 8 is operated to rapidly generate a large amount of the steam-containing air G2.

The liquid water application step S3 includes immersing the agricultural products N in water in a water tank for a certain number of times and for a certain period of time during the total storage time in the storage room 1, sprinkling water with a shower, spraying mist, or adding water. By wrapping with cloth or paper impregnated with SN, liquid moisture is brought into contact with the outer surface of the susceptible agricultural product SN, and moisture is directly imparted to the fruit tissue by the water exchange phenomenon through the cuticle layer. is.

When the humidifier 2 is used, the liquid water application step S3 switches the porous filter block 5 of the humidifier 2 to the same direction filter pattern 5A, and pressure-feeds the impregnated water of the same porous filter block 5 by air pressure. It consists of a mist generating step S3-1 for generating a mist composed of fine liquid water and a mist spraying step S3-2 for spraying the mist from the humidifier 2 into the storage room 1 for a certain period of time.

In the mist generation step S3-1, the porous filter block 5 of the humidifier 2 is switched from the same direction filter pattern 5A to the opposite direction filter pattern 5B by the filter phase change mechanism 55, and the mist is cooled to a low temperature inside the water vapor generation case 3. Dry air of about 5°C is blown by the air intake mechanism 4 to the porous filter block 5 of the anisotropic filter pattern 5B impregnated with water sprinkled from the sprinkler mechanism 6, and the impregnated water of the same porous filter block 5 is physically removed. It is forced out of the pores of the porous block to the downstream side to generate a mist as liquid moisture consisting of fine water droplets.

The mist sprayed from the humidifier 2 into the storage room 1 in the mist spraying step S3-2 adheres to the outer surface of the susceptible produce SN placed on the susceptible produce installation section 14 near the humidifier 2, and the susceptible produce SN is incorporated into the fruit tissue through water exchange phenomena in the cuticle layer of

The number and time of liquid water application step S3, that is, the contact time and number of times of water contact with susceptible agricultural products SN vary depending on the type, size, and number of susceptible agricultural products SN stored in storage room 1, but the above-mentioned humidifier When using 2, mist is sprayed for 5 to 10 minutes every hour to the extent that water droplets adhere to the surface of the susceptible agricultural product SN, and liquid moisture is applied to the fruit tissue of the susceptible agricultural product SN through the cuticle layer. Give.

It should be noted that the application of water droplets to the surface of the susceptible agricultural product SN should be such that the water droplets attached to the epidermal tissue having the cuticle layer of the susceptible agricultural product SN can be visually observed. Specifically, the water droplet adhesion area may be 10 to 100%, more preferably 50 to 100%, of the total area of the epidermal tissue having the cuticular layer of the susceptible agricultural product SN.

After the step S3 of applying liquid water, the step S2 of applying steam-containing air is executed again to maintain the inside of the storage chamber in a saturated steam atmosphere and evaporate excess liquid moisture in the storage chamber 1 to spoil the agricultural products. To prevent deterioration and drying deterioration, and to prevent high-humidity trouble such as water damage to packing materials and the inner wall of a storage room 1.例文帳に追加

That is, the upper and lower laminar flows UF and DF with high humidity constantly maintain the inside of the storage chamber 1 in a saturated steam atmosphere to prevent drying deterioration of agricultural products, and the intermediate laminar flow CF with lower humidity than that keeps the inside surface and Evaporate any remaining liquid moisture on the surface of the produce.

Note that the liquid water applying step S3 and the water vapor containing air applying step S2 can be replaced with each other. That is, the step S3 of applying liquid water may be performed after the step S1 of storing agricultural products, and then the step S2 of applying water vapor-containing air may be performed.

In this way, the present invention provides a low-temperature storage environment that functions to preserve the freshness of non-sensitive agricultural products IN that are not sensitive to low temperatures and sensitive agricultural products SN that are sensitive to low temperatures, and applies water-vapor-containing air to the surfaces of both agricultural products N. By contacting the surface of the non-susceptible agricultural product IN with liquid moisture, it is possible to suppress the low temperature injury of the sensitive agricultural product SN, reduce the management cost, and facilitate the storage work.

[4. Effect verification test of low temperature damage prevention method]
Next, an effect verification test of the method for preventing low-temperature injury according to the present embodiment will be described. The verification test is (1) Water exchange phenomenon verification test of the cuticle layer when susceptible agricultural products are placed under the optimal storage temperature range (0 to 7 ° C) for non-sensitive agricultural products that make up the majority of agricultural products distributed in the market. , (2) water retention evaluation test, and (3) low temperature damage suppression evaluation test, were divided into experimental sections with different moisturizing conditions. At the same time, a freshness retention evaluation test was conducted on (4) non-sensitive agricultural products and sensitive agricultural products stored in the same warehouse according to the present invention.

(1) Verification Test for Water Exchange Phenomenon in Cuticle Layer This test was conducted based on the stable isotope method in order to measure the amount of water taken into the agricultural product from the outside. Freshly harvested cucumbers were used as susceptible agricultural products to be tested. In addition, in order to distinguish from the water that originally exists in the pulp tissue of cucumber (hereinafter simply referred to as tissue water), the treated water externally applied to susceptible agricultural products has a stable isotope ratio (δ ¹⁸ O value) Bottled water from Alaskan glacier water source, which is very different from domestic water, was used.

Experimental plots were mist plot B1 in which liquid moisture was sprayed to allow fine water to adhere to the epidermis, immersion plot B2 in which the skin was directly immersed in water, and control plot. , and divided into three sections, namely, the open section B3 of the leaving condition.

The mist section B1 uses the above-described humidifier 2 as a device for generating mist, and uses the above-described [2. Low temperature damage prevention method] was set as an experimental area in which mist was sprayed for a predetermined time in an indoor environment with a relative humidity of 90 to 100%.

Experimental plots composed of these susceptible agricultural products were stored in a storage room at 0 to 7°C, which is the proper storage temperature for non-susceptible agricultural products, and left for 6 days. Each experimental section was divided by the number of elapsed days before storage (day 0), 2 days after storage, and 6 days after storage. IsoPrime, Cheadle, UK/IsoPrime 100; IsoPrime, Cheadle, UK) was used to measure the water exchange ratio between tissue water and treated water. The change in δ ¹⁸ O in the intra-fruit tissue water over time was evaluated as the rate of water exchange phenomenon by the cuticle layer. Table 3 shows the results.

As can be seen from Table 3, in the mist section B1 and the immersion section B2, the water exchange ratio in the fruit tissue was significantly higher on the second day than in the open section B3, and the tissue water was significantly increased on the sixth day after storage. was replaced with treated water. In particular, the mist area B1 treated according to the method for preventing low temperature damage of the present invention has a higher water exchange rate than the immersion area B2 simply immersed in the treated aqueous solution.

That is, according to the method for preventing low temperature injury according to the present invention, when the low temperature sensitive agricultural products are placed under the conditions of the optimal storage temperature zone (0 to 7 ° C.) for low temperature insensitive agricultural products, the liquid is actively applied to the surface of the agricultural products. Of course, it is effective to provide a certain amount of moisture, and by placing it under conditions of relative humidity of 90 to 100%, water can be synergistically supplied from the outside of the agricultural product to the fruit tissue inside through the cuticle layer. It has been shown.

(2) Water retention evaluation test This test conforms to the test method of "(1) Cuticle layer water exchange phenomenon verification test" described above, and the susceptibility of saturated water vapor zone B4, immersion zone B2, and open zone B3 on the 6th day after storage. An agricultural product (cucumber) was used as a sample.

The saturated water vapor zone B4 uses the above-mentioned humidifier 2 as a device for generating water vapor-containing air, and uses the above-mentioned [2. Low temperature damage prevention method], the chamber environment was a saturated steam atmosphere with a relative humidity of 90 to 100%.

For each of these samples, the fruit hardness (kgf/cm ² ) of the central fruit tissue was determined using a fruit hardness meter. Water retention was evaluated using such fruit hardness as an index. Table 4 shows the results.

As can be seen from Table 4, the saturated steam section B4 and the immersion section B2 tended to have higher fruit hardness than the open section B3. Moreover, when the fruit was cut in half during sample preparation, it was visually confirmed that the fruit tissue inside the saturated steam section B4 and the immersion section B2 was fresh and bright and retained a large amount of water. On the other hand, it was suggested that the fruit tissue inside the open plot B3 was entirely dull and had begun to dry and deteriorate.

That is, according to the method for preventing low temperature injury according to the present invention, even when sensitive agricultural products are placed under conditions of the optimum storage temperature zone for non-sensitive agricultural products, the water exchange phenomenon of the cuticle layer is used to It was shown that the moisture content of agricultural products was retained by incorporating fruit tissue into

(3) Low-temperature damage suppression evaluation test In this test, cucumbers and eggplants immediately after harvesting were used as susceptible agricultural products as samples. Such a sample was obtained by using the above-mentioned humidifier 2 as a device for generating mist, and using the above-mentioned [2. Low temperature injury prevention method], humidified group C (cucumber C1 and eggplant C2) in which mist is sprayed for a predetermined time while placed in an environment with a relative humidity of 90 to 100%, and non-humidified group D placed in a non-humidified environment as a control ( Cucumber D1 and eggplant D2) were provided separately.

These experimental groups C and D were placed in a storage room at about 5°C (0-7°C), which is the proper storage temperature for non-susceptible produce, and left for 14 days.

Thereafter, the external appearance and internal fruit tissue of each group were observed before storage (day 0), 8 days after storage, and 14 days after storage.

In this observation, the presence or absence of pitting that causes depression of the fruit surface of cucumber C1, eggplant C2, cucumber D1, and eggplant D2 of each group C and D was confirmed by observing the appearance, and each group C was observed by observing the internal fruit tissue. , Eggplant C2 and Eggplant D2 of D were checked for browning, which is browning of the fruit tissue, and the presence or absence of chilling damage was evaluated by giving a score of 5 levels (no 5 to present 1) for each. The results are shown in Tables 5 and 6.

In the appearance observation, as can be seen from Table 5, the cucumbers C1 and eggplants C2 in the humidified group C were losing their luster slightly on the 8th day after storage, but no depressions were confirmed, and 14 days after storage. Even if there was, no particular change in appearance was observed.

On the other hand, cucumber D1 and eggplant D2 in non-humidified group D were confirmed to have depressions scattered on the surface on the 8th day after storage, and the range of depressions expanded on the 14th day after storage. There was clearly pitting, such as an increase in the number.

In addition, in observing the fruit tissue, as can be seen from Table 6, the eggplant C2 in the humidified group C showed no particular change 8 days after storage, but was slightly browned 14 days after storage.

On the other hand, the eggplant D2 in the non-humidified group D was faintly browned on the 8th day after storage, and on the 14th day after storage, the dark brown color was clearly caused by browning.

As described above, according to the method for preventing low temperature injury according to the present invention, even when sensitive agricultural products are placed under conditions of the optimum storage temperature zone for non-sensitive agricultural products, the water exchange phenomenon of the cuticle layer is used to It was shown that the freshness of agricultural products can be maintained by incorporating fruit tissue into the inside of the fruit, and the chilling injury can be suppressed.

(4) Freshness retention evaluation test of agricultural products For the susceptible agricultural products in this test, eggplant C2 and eggplant D2 of humidified group C and non-humidified group D in (3) low temperature damage suppression evaluation test mentioned above were used in humidified section G and non-humidified, respectively. It was designated as Ward H. In addition, carrots immediately after harvesting were used as non-sensitive agricultural products, and stored in the same storage room as humidified area G and non-humidified area H according to the (3) cold injury suppression evaluation test, and humidified area E and non-humidified area F and

For these experimental plots E to H, a sensory test was conducted on each experimental plot before storage (day 0), 8 days after storage, and 14 days after storage. In the sensory test, the freshness evaluation items are divided into 5 stages (5 to 1) was scored. Table 7 shows the results.

As shown in Table 7, humidified area E for susceptible agricultural products and humidified area G for non-susceptible agricultural products showed good values for all evaluation items and were stored in a stable state.

On the other hand, in the non-humidified section F of the susceptible agricultural products and the non-humidified section H of the non-susceptible agricultural products, there was a clear change in color, taste, and texture on the 8th day, and a clear decrease in freshness was observed on the 14th day. In particular, in non-humidified section F of susceptible agricultural products, a marked decrease in freshness was observed due to the above-mentioned low temperature injury.

As described above, according to the method for preventing cold injury according to the present invention, even when cold-sensitive agricultural products and cold-insensitive agricultural products are stored together in the same storage room controlled at a constant temperature, deterioration of both agricultural products is prevented. It was shown that the freshness of all agricultural products can be maintained by suppressing the factors as much as possible and suppressing the low temperature injury of low temperature sensitive agricultural products as much as possible.

As described above, according to the present invention, even when a cold-sensitive agricultural product and a cold-insensitive agricultural product are stored together in the same storage room controlled at a constant temperature, both agricultural products are spoiled by putrefaction. And while suppressing drying deterioration as much as possible, it is possible to suppress low temperature damage, especially low temperature sensitive agricultural products, to maintain the freshness of agricultural products in general, reduce management costs, and simplify storage work. have the effect of transforming

A Low-temperature damage prevention method S1 Agricultural product storage step S2 Steam-containing air application step S3 Liquid water application step

Claims (2)

An agricultural product storage method for preventing low temperature damage by a low temperature damage prevention device for storing low temperature sensitive agricultural products that are sensitive to low temperatures and low temperature insensitive agricultural products that are not sensitive to low temperatures in the same room, wherein the low temperature damage prevention device A storage room for storing sensitive produce and low-temperature non-sensitive produce in the same room at a temperature of about 0 to 7 ° C, and a water vapor-containing air and liquid installed at a predetermined position in the storage room and having a relative humidity of 90 to 100%. a humidifier configured to be switchable with water,
Furthermore, the storage room is disposed near the humidifier, and is capable of placing the cold-sensitive produce and allowing liquid water generated from the humidifier to come into contact with the surface of the cold-sensitive produce; a non-sensitive agricultural product placement unit disposed at a remote position from the humidifier to enable installation of the low-temperature insensitive agricultural product and to keep liquid water generated from the humidifier out of contact with the surface of the low-temperature insensitive agricultural product. By
The surfaces of cold-sensitive agricultural products are supplied with water vapor-containing air with a relative humidity of 90-100% and are brought into contact with liquid water. A method of storing agricultural products that prevents low temperature injury, characterized in that it is possible to suppress low temperature injury of low temperature sensitive agricultural products in an environment in which low temperature sensitive agricultural products and low temperature insensitive agricultural products are stored at the same time. A low-temperature damage prevention device according to the method for storing low-temperature damage-preventing agricultural products according to claim 1, wherein the storage room is for storing low-temperature sensitive agricultural products and low-temperature insensitive agricultural products in the same room at a temperature of about 0-7°C. and a humidifier installed at a predetermined position in the storage room and configured to switch between vapor-containing air with a relative humidity of 90 to 100% and liquid water,
The storage room
a sensitive produce installation unit disposed near the humidifier and capable of placing cold-sensitive produce and allowing liquid water generated from the humidifier to come into contact with the surface of the cold-sensitive produce;
a non-sensitive agricultural product placement unit disposed at a remote position from the humidifier, enabling installation of the low-temperature insensitive agricultural product and keeping liquid water generated from the humidifier out of contact with the surface of the low-temperature insensitive agricultural product;
A low temperature hazard prevention device comprising:

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