JPWO2013031925A1 - How to maintain the freshness of crops - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a method for maintaining the freshness of a crop, which is simple and low-cost, can be applied to a wide range of crops without using a chemical, is not accompanied by heating, and has a uniform freshness-keeping effect over the entire target crop. The crop freshness maintaining method of the present invention is characterized in that the crop is irradiated with near infrared light. The wavelength of the near infrared light is preferably in the range of 700 nm to 2500 nm. The irradiation light intensity of the near infrared light is preferably in the range of 0.1 μmol / m 2 / s to 10000 μmol / m 2 / s. The irradiation time of the near infrared light is preferably in the range of 1 nanosecond to 72 hours.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for maintaining the freshness of agricultural products.

  In the production, distribution, and storage of agricultural products, maintaining the freshness after harvesting is extremely important because it greatly affects the commercial value. The freshness of agricultural products can be evaluated by, for example, weight loss (transpiration). In many crops, a 5% weight loss with respect to the weight at the time of harvest significantly impairs the quality of the product. As a technique for maintaining the freshness of agricultural products, refrigeration has been widely used for a long time in order to suppress respiration and transpiration of agricultural products. However, refrigeration is costly, and there are cases where refrigeration cannot be sufficiently performed during transportation, or cases where freshness cannot be sufficiently maintained even by refrigeration. It has become. For example, Non-Patent Document 1 proposes a gas environment control method using a film or the like. Non-Patent Document 2 discloses an ethylene production inhibitor such as aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) or silver thiosulfate in order to suppress the action of ethylene, which is a plant hormone involved in the freshness, aging, and maturation of crops. Ethylene action inhibitors such as complex salts or 1-methylcyclopropane (MCP) have been shown to be effective in maintaining freshness and storage of crops. Patent Document 1 discloses a method for maintaining the freshness of sudachi, which irradiates far-infrared rays to sudachi during pre-harvest preparatory measures. This is a technique for suppressing the occurrence of skin damage such as a loss of color or yellowishness by heating the skin surface of Sudachi with far-infrared rays. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a refrigerator that includes a storage container that stores leaf vegetables and that has a low light irradiation device disposed above the storage container. This is a technique that suppresses the degradation of chlorophyll by weak light irradiation, maintains the green color of green leafy vegetables, and suppresses the decrease in vitamin C.

JP-A-6-90659 JP 2002-267348 A

Iwamoto Ikuo et al., “Fruit and Flower Freshness Management Handbook”, Science Forum (Tokyo), 1991, p181 to p193 Koshiba Kyoichi et al., "New Plant Hormone Science", Kodansha Scientific (Tokyo), 2002, p99-p100

  However, since the technique described in Non-Patent Document 1 requires packaging with a film or the like, it takes labor and cost to implement. In addition, the technique described in Non-Patent Document 2 is severely restricted in use for food crops from the viewpoint of drug safety. On the other hand, the technique described in Patent Document 1 does not involve packaging with a film and the use of chemicals, but involves heating by far-infrared irradiation, and thus lowers the cooling efficiency of low-temperature storage in, for example, a refrigerator. Further, the technique described in Patent Document 1 is applied only to fruits, has no effect on vegetables, and has a narrow range of applicable crops. The technique described in Patent Document 2, for example, when the target crop is stacked in two stages and placed in a storage container, only the upper crop is lit and the lower crop is not lit. It is not possible to obtain a freshness-keeping effect on the entire crop. Furthermore, the technique described in Patent Literature 2 is limited to only green leafy vegetables, and the range of applicable crops is narrow as in the technique described in Patent Literature 1. These problems have been investigated and found by the present inventors.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a method for maintaining the freshness of a crop that is simple and low-cost, can be applied to a wide range of crops without using a chemical, does not involve heating, and can provide a uniform freshness-keeping effect for the entire target crop. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to achieve the object, the crop freshness maintaining method of the present invention is characterized in that the crop is irradiated with near infrared light.

  As described above, techniques for maintaining the freshness of agricultural products using far-infrared rays have been studied. However, as a result of investigation by the present inventor, surprisingly, it has been found for the first time that near-infrared light has a freshness-keeping effect. It was. Since the freshness maintaining method of the present invention by irradiation with near infrared light does not require packaging, it can be carried out easily and at low cost. Moreover, since the freshness maintenance method of the present invention by irradiation with near infrared rays does not use a drug, there is no problem in safety. And since the freshness maintenance method of this invention by irradiation of near-infrared light does not accompany heating, it does not affect the cooling efficiency of low-temperature storage. Furthermore, the freshness maintaining method of the present invention by irradiation with near infrared light has a very wide range of applicable crops such as vegetables, fruits, and flowers. Further, according to the present invention, the near-infrared light has a property of transmitting through the target crop itself and an object such as a storage container wall, so that the target crop can be uniformly irradiated, and the entire target crop It is possible to impart a freshness-keeping effect to. Irradiation of near infrared rays to a crop may be performed after harvesting, or may be performed in a farm or house immediately before harvesting.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a crop freshness maintaining apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an example of the transportation means of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between near-infrared irradiation light intensity and transpiration amount in a bright place in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a graph showing the result of suppression of softening of head lettuce by irradiation with near infrared light in an example of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a graph showing the results of suppressing strawberry softening by near-infrared light irradiation in one example of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a graph showing the result of inhibiting the decay of head lettuce by irradiation with near infrared light in an example of the present invention. FIG. 7 is another graph showing the result of inhibiting the decay of head lettuce by near-infrared light irradiation in one example of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a graph showing the results of inhibiting strawberry rot by near infrared light irradiation in an example of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a graph showing a test result of application of the present invention to leaf lettuce produced in a plant factory in an example of the present invention. FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b) are photographs showing the result of visual observation of the komatsuna in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a photograph showing the result of visual observation of barn in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a photograph showing the result of visual observation of spinach in one example of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic view of the photograph of FIG. FIG. 14 is a photograph showing the result of visual observation of asparagus in one example of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a photograph showing the result of visual observation of green onions in one example of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a photograph showing the result of visual observation of cabbage in one example of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a photograph showing the result of visual observation of peppers in one example of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a photograph showing the result of observation of eggplant visually in one example of the present invention. FIG. 19A is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of upward storage of tomatoes, and FIG. 19B is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of downward storage of tomatoes. FIG. 20 is a photograph showing the result of visual observation of tomatoes in one example of the present invention. FIG. 21 is a schematic view of the photograph of FIG. 22 (a) to 22 (d) are photographs showing the results of visual observation of peaches in one example of the present invention. FIG. 23 is a photograph of the appearance of chrysanthemum in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 24 is a schematic view of the photograph shown in FIG. 25 (a) and 25 (b) are schematic views showing another example of the crop freshness maintaining apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the crop freshness maintaining apparatus of the present invention. FIGS. 27A and 27B are schematic views showing an example of a refrigerator which is an example of a storage case of the present invention. FIG. 28 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the display device of the present invention.

  In the present invention, “agricultural crops” refers to all crops that can be harvested by agricultural techniques. Details of the crop will be described later.

  In the present invention, “keeping freshness” means holding the state of the crop just before harvesting as much as possible. The required freshness-keeping effect depends on the type of crop and the commercial value. The relationship between the type of crop and the freshness retention effect will be described later.

  In the crop freshness maintaining method of the present invention, the wavelength of the near-infrared light is preferably in the range of 700 nm to 2500 nm.

In the crop freshness maintaining method of the present invention, the irradiation light intensity of the near infrared light is preferably in the range of 0.1 μmol / m ² / s to 10000 μmol / m ² / s.

  In the crop freshness maintaining method of the present invention, the irradiation time of the near infrared light is preferably in the range of 1 nanosecond to 72 hours.

  In the method for maintaining freshness of agricultural products according to the present invention, the agricultural products are preferably vegetables, fruits, and flowers.

  The crop freshness maintaining device of the present invention is a crop freshness maintaining device used in the crop freshness maintaining method of the present invention, and is characterized by including a light source that irradiates near infrared light.

  The crop freshness maintaining apparatus of the present invention further includes a light intensity control unit and an irradiation time control unit, wherein the light intensity control unit controls the irradiation light intensity of the light source, and the irradiation time control unit controls the irradiation of the light source. It is preferred that the time be controlled.

  In the crop freshness maintaining apparatus of the present invention, the light source may be a light source that emits near infrared light together with visible light.

  The storage of the present invention is a storage for storing crops, and includes the crop freshness maintaining device of the present invention.

  The transport means of the present invention is a transport means for transporting agricultural products, and includes the storage of the present invention.

  In the storage and transportation means of the present invention, the storage is preferably a transport container.

  The storage of the present invention is preferably a refrigerator.

  The display device of the present invention is a display device for displaying crops, and includes the crop freshness maintaining device of the present invention.

  The production method of the present invention is a method for producing a fresh crop, and includes a freshness-keeping treatment step for performing a freshness-keeping treatment on the harvested crop, and the freshness-keeping treatment step is a freshness-keeping method for a crop according to the present invention. Is performed.

  Next, the present invention will be described in detail with examples. However, the present invention is not limited or restricted by the following description.

  As described above, the crop freshness maintaining method of the present invention is characterized by irradiating the crop with near infrared light.

  The crops to which the present invention is applied are not particularly limited. For example, as described above, vegetables, fruits, and florets in the usual classification according to the use site (referred to as horticultural classification or artificial classification) are used. Are preferred.

  Examples of the vegetables include fruits and vegetables (eggplant, pepino, tomato, cherry tomato, tamariro, takatsume, chili pepper, shishi pepper, habanero, peppers, paprika, colored peppers, pumpkin, zucchini, cucumber, tsunonigauri, shirouri, bitter gourd, In addition to Togan, Hayatouri, Loofah, Yugao, Okra, Strawberry, Watermelon, Melon, Macwauli, etc., grains such as corn, azuki bean, kidney bean, pea, shrimp, cowpea, winged bean, broad bean, soybean, jujube, peanut, lentil, Sesame and other legumes), leaf stems (ice plant, ashitaba, mustard, cabbage, watercress, kale, komatsuna, sardana, sunny lettuce, saishin, sanchu, shandong vegetables, perilla, sangiku, junsai, sirona, seri Celery, Taasai, Daikonna (Suzushiro), Takana, Chisha, Chingensai, Tsukena, Rape, Nozawana, Chinese cabbage, parsley, Haruna, Chard, Spinach, Hotokenoza, Mizuna, Midori Hakobe, Kochakobe, Ushihakobe, Mitsuna, Mitsuba, Meikabemo Leafy vegetables such as leaf lettuce, arugula, lettuce, wasabi, green onions, fine green onions, chives, chives, asparagus, udo, kohlrabi, zasai, bamboo shoots, garlic, Chinese rhinoceros, green onions, scallops, onions, etc. , Cauliflower, edible chrysanthemum, nabana, fukinoto, myoga and other flowering vegetables, sprout, sprout, sprouts, radish and other vegetative vegetables, root vegetables (jib, Japanese radish, Japanese radish, wasabi, horseradish, burdock, cho In addition to potatoes, ginger, carrots, carrots, sea bream, lotus roots, lily roots, sweet potatoes, taros, potatoes, potatoes (Yamato potatoes), yam potatoes (including yams, natural potatoes), fungi (enokitake, eringi) , Jellyfish, mushroom, shiitake, shimeji, white jellyfish, tamogitake, shichitake, namoko, narake, hatake shimeji, oyster mushroom, bunshimeji, bunapee, porcini, honjimeji, maitake, mushroom, mushroom, matsutake, matsutake . However, these are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

  Examples of the fruits include various citrus fruits such as mandarin oranges, apples, peaches, pears, pears, bananas, grapes, cherries, gummy, raspberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, mulberry, loquat, figs, oysters, oysters , Mango, avocado, jujube, pomegranate, passion fruit, pineapple, banana, papaya, apricot, ume, plum, peach, kiwifruit, karin, bayberry, chestnut, miracle fruit, guava, star fruit, etc. However, these are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

  Examples of the florets include, for example, holyhock, bouvardia, godetia, primrose, stock, habutton, lunaria, acidansera, iris, gladiolus, red-bellied, peperomia, calceolaria, snapdragon, torenia, primrose, cyclamen, pine bark, anthurium, Caradium, Shobu, Cingonium, Spasifilm, Dieffenbachia, Philodendron, Cactus, Ajuga, Kaktranoo, Salvia, Begonia, Curcuma, Water Lily, Pautraca, Violet, White Trace Flower, Setocreacea, Murasaki Omoto, Murasakitsukitsuno, Hosenka Tsunos , Petunia, physalis, carnations, radish, redwood, gypsophila, perennial gypsophila, citrus radish, guzumania Strelitzia, Shibazakura, Phlox, Euphorbia, Kyokanoko, Amakurinam, Amaryllis, Chrysanthemum, Kunsilan, Kirtansus, Daffodil, Snowflake, Tamasdale, Nerine, Hamamoto, Eucharis, Licorice, Agave, Celosia, Boletus, Bluegrass, Boletus Scabiosa, sweet pea, lupine, lurigio, forget-me-not, astilbe, saxifrage, agapanthus, amadokororo, aloe, ornithogalum, omoto, oryzul orchid, giboshi, black lily, gloriosa, corticum, sansevieria, sanders, lanterns Triteria, Narco Yuri, New Sairan, Baimo, Hyacinth, Ho Togisu, Yabukanzo, Yabulan, Lily, Alstroemeria, Ruscus, Cyprinus, Ebine, Oncidium, Cattleya, Colmanara, Silane, Cymbidium, Selodyne, Dendribium, Doritenopsis, Nagolan, Paphiopedilum, Vanda, Birstekera, Phalaenopsis, Burna Gentian, lantana, rose, cherry, gerbera, etc., as well as oysters, cycad, fern, dracaena, haran, monstera, potos, compactor, polish, jungle bush, licorice, beargrass, pitosporum used to appreciate the leaves Etc. However, these are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

  In relation to crops and freshness preservation effects, for example, vegetables (leaf vegetables) that mainly use leaves or stems such as lettuce and spinach prevent wilting (suppression of transpiration), prevent discoloration (browning, etc.), soften Prevention and prevention of corruption are important. In addition, in vegetables (fruit vegetables) mainly using fruits such as strawberries and tomatoes, or fruit trees such as apples, it is important to prevent discoloration (such as browning), prevention of softening, and prevention of corruption. Further, in flowering plants, it is important to prevent wilting (suppression of transpiration) and to prevent discoloration (such as browning). However, these are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

  As described above, in the method for maintaining freshness of agricultural products according to the present invention, the wavelength of the near infrared light is preferably in the range of 700 nm to 2500 nm. The wavelength of the near infrared light is more preferably in the range of 750 nm to 1100 nm, and further preferably in the range of 750 nm to 1000 nm. In the present invention, the near-infrared light to be irradiated may have a single wavelength such as a laser or may have a wavelength distribution. In the case of a fluorescent lamp, LED, or the like having the wavelength distribution, the center wavelength (peak wavelength) is preferably within the above range.

As described above, in the method for maintaining the freshness of agricultural products of the present invention, it is preferable that the irradiation light intensity of the near-infrared light is in a range of 0.1 μmol / m ² / s to 10000 μmol / m ² / s. Irradiation light intensity of the near-infrared light is more preferably within a range of ^{1μmol / m 2 / s~200μmol / m} 2 / s, more preferably in the range of ^{1μmol / m 2 / s~150μmol / m} 2 / s It is.

  As described above, in the crop freshness maintaining method of the present invention, the irradiation time of the near infrared light is preferably in the range of 1 nanosecond to 72 hours. The irradiation time of the near infrared light is more preferably in the range of 1 second to 60 minutes, and further preferably in the range of 1 second to 10 minutes. The present invention may be a method of instantaneously irradiating a very large amount of light, such as a strobe. Further, the present invention may be a method of irradiating with a low light amount for a long time. For example, when used in a supermarket storefront or the like, for example, the light may be continuously irradiated with a low light amount during the supermarket business hours.

In the present invention, for example, in the case of irradiation with low light, such as in the range of ^{0.1μmol / m 2 / s~10μmol / m} 2 / s , the irradiation time is, for example, in the range of 1 minute to 72 hours More preferably, it is in the range of 5 minutes to 24 hours. Further, in the present invention, for example, a large amount such as a range of ^{200μmol / m 2 / s~10000μmol / m} 2 / s, for example, in the case of irradiating light quantity, such as a flash, the irradiation time, for example, 1 It is preferably in the range of nanoseconds to 10 seconds, more preferably in the range of 1 microsecond to 1 second.

  In the crop freshness maintaining method of the present invention, the irradiation with the near infrared light may be continuous irradiation or intermittent irradiation. Continuous irradiation is, for example, continuous irradiation of near infrared light for a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes). The intermittent irradiation is, for example, repeating irradiation for 10 seconds and non-irradiation for 10 seconds 30 times so that the irradiation time is 5 minutes in total.

  In the method for maintaining freshness of agricultural products according to the present invention, the irradiation with the near-infrared light does not require the surrounding light environment to be dark, and may be under artificial lighting such as a fluorescent lamp or under sunlight. . Also, the light environment after irradiation need not be dark, and may be under artificial illumination such as a fluorescent lamp or under sunlight.

  In the method for maintaining the freshness of agricultural products according to the present invention, the irradiation of the near infrared light may be performed not only in the pretreatment for the agricultural products but also continuously, for example, in a retail store. In this case, irradiation may be performed in combination with a light source such as a white LED or a white fluorescent lamp having another wavelength.

  The near-infrared light irradiation instrument used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it can emit a wavelength corresponding to near-infrared light. The irradiation tool may irradiate a single wavelength such as a laser, or may irradiate light having a central wavelength at a wavelength of 700 nm to 2500 nm. For example, a light-emitting diode (LED), a fluorescent tube, a metal halide lamp, a sodium lamp, a halogen lamp, a neon tube, an inorganic electroluminescence, an organic electroluminescence, or the like can be used as the irradiation tool. Light emitted from the light source that has passed through the filter or sunlight may be used.

  As a specific method of use of the present invention, for example, a method of irradiating near infrared light before or after harvesting at a crop production site, a method of irradiating near infrared light before boxing or bagging of crops, or A method of irradiating near-infrared light after the boxing and before closing the lid can be mentioned. In addition, near-infrared light passes through common materials used in crop storage containers (for example, polyethylene), so it can be irradiated from above even after crops have been boxed or packed. It is possible to uniformly irradiate the entire crop in boxes and bags. Moreover, since near-infrared light also permeate | transmits agricultural products themselves, even if agricultural products are piled up and stored, it can irradiate the whole stored agricultural products uniformly. Therefore, it is possible to irradiate near-infrared light after boxing and bagging and before shipping. Moreover, you may irradiate near infrared light during cultivation of agricultural products. Furthermore, the freshness in the display shelf can be maintained for a longer period by using the present invention at the store. Further, for example, in a retail store, near infrared light may be continuously irradiated to the crops arranged on the display shelf during the business hours of the store. For example, in a store or a home, near infrared light may be radiated continuously during storage on a crop stored in a storage such as a refrigerator.

  Next, the crop freshness maintaining apparatus of the present invention will be described.

  As described above, the crop freshness maintaining device of the present invention is a crop freshness maintaining device used for the crop freshness maintaining method of the present invention, and includes a light source that irradiates near infrared light. .

In the present invention, the light source may be a light source that emits only near-infrared light, or may be a light source that emits near-infrared light together with visible light, as described above. In the present invention, the light source that irradiates near-infrared light together with visible light is, for example, a light source that combines a white light source and a near-infrared light source, or a single light source, white light and near-red light. For example, a light source that can irradiate with external light. Specifically, for example, a light source configured by combining a white LED and a near-infrared LED, an LED light source in which the near-infrared component of a conventional white LED is significantly increased, and the like can be given. Since such a light source does not impair the vision, it can be used as illumination having a display function and a freshness maintaining function, for example, for crops displayed in a supermarket or the like, which is preferable. Here, “significantly increased” means that the near-infrared component is increased to such an extent that a freshness maintaining effect by irradiation with near-infrared light can be obtained. In the present invention, the rate of increase of the near-infrared component is not particularly limited. For example, in any case of LED, natural light, and fluorescent lamp, the near-infrared component with respect to the total intensity of visible light components of 400 nm to 700 nm. Is preferably increased by 5% to 1000%, more preferably 5% to 500%, and even more preferably 5% to 250%. Here, “the near-infrared component is increased by 5% with respect to the total intensity of the visible light component” means, for example, when the total intensity of the visible light component is 100 μmol / m ² / s, It means adding 5 μmol / m ² / s of the component. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the ratio of the near-infrared component in the light to be irradiated can be appropriately determined according to the scene such as irradiation at the time of packing, irradiation that also serves as a display at a store. .

  FIG. 1 shows an example of a crop freshness maintaining apparatus of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the freshness maintaining device 10 includes a light source 11 and a controller 12. The light source 11 irradiates near-infrared light from above the agricultural product 13 (strawberry in FIG. 1). The light source 11 is not particularly limited, and for example, the near infrared light irradiation instrument can be used. The light source 11 may be a light source that emits near-infrared light together with the visible light. For example, a light source configured by combining a white LED and a near-infrared LED, or a conventional white LED An LED light source or the like in which the near infrared component is significantly increased can be used. The controller 12 controls the irradiation light intensity and irradiation time of the light source 11. The controller 12 is an arbitrary component and may be omitted, but is preferably present. In FIG. 1, the controller 12 that performs both irradiation light intensity control and irradiation time control is shown, but the controller 12 may be composed of separate members that perform each. In FIG. 1, the controller 12 is a separate member from the light source 11, but may be incorporated in the light source 11. The controller 12 is not particularly limited. For example, a conventionally known controller may be used.

  In this example, it may further have an installation base for installing agricultural products. The installation table may be a belt conveyor. When the installation base is a belt conveyor, the crop 13 is irradiated with near-infrared light while being transferred in the transport direction on the belt conveyor.

  In FIG. 25, the other example of the freshness holding apparatus of the agricultural products of this invention is shown. In FIG. 25, the same parts as those in FIG. FIG. 25A is a schematic diagram of the appearance of the crop freshness holding device 101 of this example, and FIG. 25B shows the crop freshness holding device 101 of this example as shown in FIG. It is the figure which showed typically the cross section seen in the I direction. As shown in the figure, the freshness holding device 101 for the crop of this example has a belt conveyor 16 passing through the inside of the irradiation device main body 15, and the freshness holding device 10 shown in FIG. 1 is arranged inside the irradiation device main body 15. ing. In the case of this example, the crop 13 is irradiated with near infrared light while passing through the inside of the irradiation apparatus body 15 on the belt conveyor 16.

  As described above, the crop freshness maintaining device of the present invention has been described by way of example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a portable handheld type can also be used. In FIG. 26, an example of the freshness maintenance apparatus of the handy type crop of the present invention is shown. FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram of the crop freshness maintaining apparatus 201 of this example. In FIG. 26, the same parts as those in FIG. In the case of this example, the holding part 17 is held in the hand and the crop 13 is irradiated with near infrared light. In this example, the controller 12 is not illustrated, but may be incorporated in the light source 11, or the controller 12 may be a separate member from the light source 11. The crop freshness holding device 201 of the present example is a size that can be held by hand and can be carried, and is convenient, for example, when irradiating as necessary.

  Next, the storage and transportation means of the present invention will be described.

  As described above, the storage of the present invention is a storage for storing crops, and includes the crop freshness maintaining device of the present invention. Although the said storage is not restrict | limited in particular, For example, a transport container, a refrigerator, a cool box, etc. are preferable. The storage is not limited to a storage or pre-cooling storage for storing crops exclusively, and can be suitably used for a refrigerator or storage used in a home or kitchen.

  Moreover, the transport means of the present invention is a transport means for transporting agricultural products, and includes the storage of the present invention. Examples of the transportation means of the present invention include vehicles, airplanes, ships, and the like. Vehicles include trains and automobiles.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of the transportation means of the present invention. In FIG. 2, the same parts as those in FIG. The transportation means in this example is a truck 20. As illustrated, the truck 20 includes a transport container 21, and the transport container 21 includes the freshness maintaining device 10 illustrated in FIG. 1.

  FIG. 27 (a) shows an example of a refrigerator, which is an example of the storage of the present invention. In FIG. 27A, the same parts as those in FIG. As illustrated, the refrigerator 30 of the present example includes a vegetable room 31, and the vegetable room 31 includes the freshness holding device 10 illustrated in FIG. 1. In this example, the light source 11 is disposed on the upper rear surface of the vegetable compartment 31. In this example, the controller 12 is not illustrated, but may be incorporated in the light source 11, or the controller 12 may be a separate member from the light source 11. Moreover, in this example, although the partition is not provided in the vegetable compartment 31, this invention is not limited to this. For example, in the present invention, the vegetable compartment is divided into a plurality of areas by a partition plate, and is divided into a section where the light source 11 is placed and a section where the light source 11 is not placed according to the type of vegetables to be stored. The irradiation light intensity and the irradiation time may be adjustable. Moreover, in this example, the light source 11 may be a light source that irradiates near infrared light together with visible light as described in FIG. 1. For example, the light source 11 is configured by combining a white LED and a near infrared LED. It may be a light source or an LED light source in which the near-infrared component of a conventional white LED is significantly increased.

  FIG. 27B shows another example of the refrigerator, which is an example of the storage of the present invention. FIG. 27B is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator 40 of this example as viewed from the lateral direction. In the refrigerator 40 of this example, as shown in FIG.27 (b), the freshness holding | maintenance apparatus 10 of this invention is arrange | positioned on the upper surface of the front side of the vegetable compartment 41. FIG. Others are the same as those of the refrigerator 30. Thus, in the present invention, the position of the freshness maintaining device can be adjusted according to the design of the refrigerator.

  Next, the display device of the present invention will be described.

  As described above, the display device of the present invention is a display device for displaying crops, and includes the crop freshness maintaining device of the present invention. The display device is not particularly limited as long as it can display crops. Examples thereof include a showcase and a display shelf.

  FIG. 28 shows an example of the display device of the present invention. In FIG. 28, the same parts as those in FIG. The display device of this example is a showcase 50. FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of the showcase 50 as viewed from the lateral direction. As shown in the figure, the showcase 50 of this example is provided with a storage chamber 54 for storing agricultural products in an insulating box 53 in which a transparent member 52 such as a windshield is fitted in an opening 51. The freshness holding device 10 of the present invention is disposed on the upper part. In this example, the controller 12 is not illustrated, but may be incorporated in the light source 11, or the controller 12 may be a separate member from the light source 11. In this example, the light source 11 is disposed in the upper part of the storage chamber 54, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the light source 11 only needs to be disposed at a position that can irradiate the storage chamber. Further, in this example, the light source 11 may irradiate near infrared light together with visible light, as described in FIG. 1. For example, the light source 11 is configured by combining a white LED and a near infrared LED. It may be a light source or an LED light source in which the near-infrared component of a conventional white LED is significantly increased. Since such a light source 11 does not impair vision, it can realize a display function for crops in the showcase as well as a freshness maintaining function, and can be suitably used as illumination in the showcase.

  In this example, a showcase having an opening and a transparent member has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is possible to directly touch a displayed item without a transparent member. It may be a showcase.

  As described above, the inventor of the present invention has found that near-infrared light has an effect of maintaining the freshness of crops. Until now, it has been speculated that phytochrome, a red light / far-red light sensor, is known to be involved in the germination of seeds of plants as a mechanism for maintaining the freshness of crops using light. It was. However, near-infrared light is out of the absorption region of phytochrome. Therefore, it is presumed that the freshness maintaining method of the present invention by irradiation with near infrared light is based on a new mechanism different from the mechanism of phytochrome. However, this assumption does not limit or limit the invention.

  Next, examples of the present invention will be described. In addition, this invention is not limited and restrict | limited by the following Example.

[Example 1]
(1) Suppression of transpiration of green leaf by near infrared light irradiation In the dark (0Lx) and low temperature (10 ° C) conditions, the irradiation light intensity is 100 μmol / m ² / s and the center wavelengths are 850 nm, 940 nm and 1015 nm. Near-infrared light emitted from the LED was irradiated to each green leaf for 10 minutes, and the amount of transpiration was determined. The amount of transpiration was calculated by measuring the weight of the early green leaf, storing it in the dark / low temperature condition after the light irradiation, and calculating the weight change after storage for 1 day. The amount of transpiration was expressed as a relative value when no irradiation was set to 1.00. Further, as a comparative example, the amount of transpiration was determined in the same manner except that red light, green light, and blue light emitted from LEDs were used instead of near infrared light. In this example, the transpiration amount was determined as an average value of n = 4 at the wavelengths of 850 nm and 1015 nm, and as an average value of n = 5 at the wavelength of 940 nm. Moreover, the transpiration | evaporation amount as an average value of n = 5 was calculated | required in the non-irradiation and all the comparative examples.

  The results are shown in Table 1. As shown in Table 1, the amount of transpiration when irradiated with near-infrared light is 0.47 to 0.61, and the amount of transpiration was significantly suppressed in comparison with non-irradiation (blank). On the other hand, the amount of transpiration was not suppressed by red light and blue light. Moreover, the amount of transpiration was 0.93 with green light, and the transpiration amount suppression effect was small compared with near-infrared light.

(2) Suppression of lettuce transpiration by near-infrared light irradiation Except that lettuce was used and the number of samples (n) was changed as shown in Table 2, the transpiration rate was determined in the same manner as for green leaflets. As the lettuce, seedlings grown in house by the following procedure were used. First, lettuce (variety: Cisco) seeds were sown on a urethane mat for raising seedlings. And, in a growth chamber set to constant temperature conditions (22 ° C. to 23 ° C.) and 16 hours of day length (light period: 10,000 Lx (plant growth lamp)), Otsuka hydroponics solution (EC: 1.2) Cultivation was carried out for 10 days by hydroponics using. And when two true leaves came out, the above-ground part was cut | disconnected and it was set as the lettuce for a test.

  The results are shown in Table 2. As shown in Table 2, the amount of transpiration when irradiated with near-infrared light was 0.84 to 0.85, and the amount of transpiration was significantly suppressed in comparison with non-irradiation (blank). On the other hand, the amount of transpiration was not suppressed by red light and blue light. Moreover, the amount of transpiration was 0.96 with green light, and the transpiration amount suppression effect was small compared with near-infrared light.

Next, instead of the LED, the amount of transpiration of lettuce was determined using monochromatic light having a narrower wavelength range. In other words, instead of LEDs, a single color obtained by combining a high-precision multipurpose standard lamp “OPTICAL MODULEX” (manufactured by USHIO) with a xenon short arc lamp as a light source and an interference filter (FWHM: 10 nm) with a transmission half width of 10 nm. using light, near-infrared light 1000nm from the center wavelength 700 nm, and irradiated for 5 minutes with irradiation light intensity 100μmol ^/ m 2 ^/ s, as 15μmol ^{/ m} 2 ^/ s, to determine the transpiration rate. The calculation method and display method of the transpiration amount are as described above. The number of samples (n) was as shown in Table 3 and Table 4. The results are shown in Tables 3 and 4. As shown in Tables 3 and 4, a decrease in the transpiration rate was observed. From this, it has confirmed that the transpiration | evaporation amount inhibitory effect originates in near-infrared light.

(3) Relationship dark and transpiration and the irradiation light intensity of the near-infrared light (0lx) · cold (10 ° C.) conditions, the irradiation light intensity ^{1μmol / m 2 / s, 2μmol} / m 2 / s, 3μmol ^{/ m 2 / s, 4μmol /} m 2 / s, 5μmol / m 2 / s, 8μmol / m 2 / s, 10μmol / m 2 / s, 100μmol / m 2 / s, 200μmol / m 2 / s and 300 [mu] mol / As m ² / s, near-infrared light having a center wavelength of 850 nm and 940 nm emitted from an LED was irradiated to the aforementioned lettuce for 10 minutes, respectively, and the amount of transpiration was determined. The calculation method and display method of the transpiration amount were as described above, and the number of samples (n) was as shown in Table 5. The results are shown in Table 5. As shown in Table 5, the 850 nm, the ^{4μmol / m 2 / s, 940nm} , in the irradiation light intensity of 2μmol ^{/ m} 2 ^/ s, the highest transpiration suppression effect was obtained.

(4) Relationship between irradiation time of near-infrared light and transpiration amount Based on the relationship between irradiation light intensity and transpiration amount described above, lettuce in the dark (0Lx) and low temperature (10 ° C) conditions. The central wavelength and intensity of irradiation light emitted from the LED are (i) 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s), (ii) 940 nm (300 μmol / m ² / s), (iii) 940 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s). ) For 1 second, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes and 60 minutes. The calculation method and display method of the amount of transpiration were as described above, and the number of samples (n) was as shown in Tables 6-8. The results are shown in Tables 6-8. Table 6 shows the result under the condition (i), Table 7 shows the result under the condition (ii), and Table 8 shows the result under the condition (iii). As shown in Tables 6 to 8, the highest transpiration rate suppression effect was obtained in irradiation for 5 minutes under the condition (i), 1 minute under the condition (ii), and 30 seconds under the condition (iii).

(5) Near-infrared light irradiation in a bright place (5-1) Relationship between the irradiation intensity of near-infrared light and the amount of transpiration In a bright place (1000 Lx) and low temperature (10 ° C) under a white fluorescent lamp the irradiation light intensity ^{10μmol / m 2 / s, 100μmol} / m 2 / s, as 200μmol ^{/ m} 2 ^/ s and 300μmol ^{/ m} 2 ^/ s, a near infrared light having a center wavelength of 850nm and 940nm emitted from the LED above Each lettuce was irradiated for 10 minutes to determine the amount of transpiration. The calculation method and display method of the transpiration amount are as described above. In this example, the transpiration amount as an average value of n = 24 was obtained. The result is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, a significant decrease in the amount of transpiration was observed at an irradiation light intensity of 10 μmol / m ² / s or more at both 850 nm and 940 nm. From this, it became clear that the amount of transpiration was reduced by irradiation with near-infrared light even under bright conditions.

(5-2) Relationship between irradiation time of near-infrared light and transpiration amount Based on the relationship between the irradiation light intensity and transpiration amount described above, the bright place (1000 Lx) / low temperature (10 ° C.) under a white fluorescent lamp. ), The central wavelength emitted from the LED and the intensity of irradiation light are (iv) 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s), (v) 940 nm (200 μmol / m ² / s), (vi) 940 nm (100 μmol / m ^2). / S), the above-mentioned lettuce was irradiated at different irradiation times, and the amount of transpiration was determined for each. The calculation method and display method of the transpiration amount were as described above, and the number of samples (n) was as shown in Table 9. The results are shown in Table 9. As shown in Table 9, the highest transpiration suppression effect was obtained in irradiation for 10 minutes under the condition (iv), 1 to 5 minutes under the condition (v), and 5 minutes under the condition (vi).

(5-3) Relationship between near-infrared light irradiation and transpiration rate under various light conditions In order to investigate the effect of near-infrared light under stronger light conditions, the light conditions under a white fluorescent lamp (10000Lx), a bright spot under a white LED (10000Lx), and a bright spot under natural light (sunlight) (40000Lx), the irradiation light intensity is 100 μmol / m ² / s, and the central wavelength emitted from the LED is 850 nm. Were irradiated with the above-mentioned lettuce for 5 minutes, and the amount of transpiration was determined. The calculation method and display method of the transpiration amount are as described above. In this example, the transpiration amount as an average value of n = 4 to 6 was obtained. The results are shown in Table 10. As shown in Table 10, it has been clarified that the amount of transpiration is reduced by irradiation with near-infrared light in any bright conditions under a white fluorescent lamp, a white LED, and natural light (sunlight).

(5-4) Relationship between near-infrared light irradiation and transpiration rate under continuous irradiation conditions In order to investigate the effect of further continuous irradiation with near-infrared light under light conditions, a bright place under a white LED Under the conditions of (10000 Lx), the irradiation light intensity was set to 60 μmol / m ² / s, and near infrared light having a central wavelength of 850 nm emitted from the LED was irradiated to the aforementioned lettuce for 24 hours to obtain the transpiration amount. The calculation method and display method of the transpiration amount are as described above. In this example, the transpiration amount as an average value of n = 7 was obtained. The results are shown in Table 11. As shown in Table 11, it was revealed that the amount of transpiration decreased even when irradiated with near-infrared light under continuous light conditions for 24 hours. This indicates that a freshness maintaining effect can be exhibited by adding a near infrared light component to the light from the white LED.

(6) Effect on opening and closing of pores In the above-mentioned lettuce, near-infrared light having a central wavelength of 850 nm emitted from an LED under dark conditions (0 Lx) and low temperature (10 ° C.) is used. Irradiation intensity is 10 μmol / m ² / s. And 100 μmol / m ² / s for 10 minutes. After irradiation, the mixture was allowed to stand in a dark place at 10 ° C. After 30 minutes, the lettuce leaves were partially crushed with a homogenizer, and the pore opening was measured using an optical microscope. In this example, lettuce of 5 individuals each was used, and 5 pores were observed for 5 fragments each crushed with a homogenizer (total 125 pores were observed in each test section), and the average value was obtained. . The results are shown in Table 12. As shown in Table 12, when near-infrared light is irradiated, it becomes clear that the pores tend to be closed compared to non-irradiation at any light intensity, and this is the reason why the amount of transpiration is reduced. It was guessed that it was one of.

[Example 2]
Near-infrared light with a central wavelength of 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) emitted from an LED in various dark stems, fruit vegetables, fruits, and fungi in the dark (0 Lx) and low temperature (10 ° C.) conditions Irradiated with light for 5 minutes. Then, it was stored for 1 day to 2 weeks in a dark place / low temperature condition, and the amount of transpiration was determined. The display method of the transpiration amount was as described above, and the number of samples (n) was as shown in Table 13. The results are shown in Table 13. As shown in Table 13, also in leaf lettuce, spinach, cabbage, green onion, asparagus, broccoli, komatsuna, barley, cucumber, cherry tomato, midi tomato, tomato, pepper, eggplant, strawberry, cherry, peach, shiitake mushroom, beech shimeji The transpiration rate was suppressed.

Furthermore, the effect of suppressing transpiration was investigated for various flower buds. Various kinds of florets (cut flowers) were irradiated with near-infrared light having a central wavelength of 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) emitted from the LED for 5 minutes in a dark place (0 Lx) and low temperature (10 ° C.). Thereafter, chrysanthemums, hydrangea, carnations, and lantana were left in a bright room for 3 to 2 weeks at room temperature in water, and the change in weight was measured. The roses were wrapped in newspaper after irradiation and left in a dark place at 4 ° C. for 2 days, and the weight change was measured. The number of samples (n) was as shown in Table 14. The results are shown in Table 14. As shown in Table 14, weight loss (transpiration amount) was suppressed in all flower buds (cut flowers).

[Example 3]
(1) Inhibition of softening of head lettuce by near-infrared light irradiation In the dark (0Lx) / low temperature (10 ° C.) conditions, the center wavelengths emitted from the LEDs are 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) and 940 nm (100 μmol / m ^2). / S) near-infrared light was irradiated to the lettuce for 10 minutes. Then, it stored for 20 days in dark place and low-temperature conditions, and the hardness value of the leaf was measured by the hardness measurement with the fruit hardness meter (The Fujiwara Seisakusho make, KM-5, brand name cone blanker). The hardness value of the leaf was displayed as a relative value with 1.00 being no irradiation. In non-irradiation and in this example, the leaf hardness was determined as an average value of n = 5. The results are shown in Table 15 and FIG. As shown in Table 15 and FIG. 4, in both 850 nm and 940 nm, the leaf hardness value was higher in both the single irradiation and the daily irradiation than in the case of no irradiation, and the softening could be suppressed. Moreover, the higher softening inhibitory effect was acquired by one time irradiation than daily irradiation.

(2) Suppression of strawberry softening by near-infrared light irradiation In the dark place (0Lx) and low temperature (10 ° C) conditions, near-infrared light with a central wavelength of 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) emitted from the LED is applied to the strawberry. Irradiated for 5 minutes. Then, it stored for one week in dark place and low temperature conditions, and measured the fruit hardness of the strawberry using the said fruit hardness meter. In non-irradiation and in this example, the fruit hardness as an average value of n = 11 was determined. The results are shown in Table 16 and FIG. In FIG. 5, a significant difference of 5% level was shown between a and b by Tukey test. As shown in Table 16 and FIG. 5, the direction of light irradiation was able to maintain high fruit hardness as compared with the case of no irradiation, and softening could be suppressed.

[Example 4]
(1) Suppression of rot of head-shot lettuce by near-infrared light irradiation Using head-shot lettuce, based on four-level evaluation (1: healthy, 2: browned, 3: partially rot, 4: rotted) Freshness evaluation was performed. Near-infrared light having a center wavelength of 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) and 940 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) emitted from the LED under dark (0Lx) / low temperature (10 ° C.) conditions is applied to the lettuce of 10 times. Irradiated for 1 minute. Thereafter, the sample was stored for 20 days in a dark place / low temperature condition, and the freshness was visually evaluated according to the four-stage evaluation. The results are shown in FIGS. FIG. 6 shows the result when irradiated only once, and FIG. 7 shows the result when irradiated every day for 20 days. As shown in the figure, in both 850 nm and 940 nm, both the single irradiation and the daily irradiation had a partial decay rate and a lower decay rate than in the case of no irradiation, and an anti-corruption effect was obtained. In addition, compared with daily irradiation, one-time irradiation had a lower ratio of partial rotting and rotting, and a high anti-rotation effect was obtained.

(2) Suppression of strawberry decay by near infrared light irradiation In the dark (0Lx) and low temperature (10 ° C) conditions, near infrared light with a central wavelength of 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) emitted from the LED For 5 minutes. At this time, the near-infrared light was irradiated in a state where the strawberries were stacked in two stages and packed. Thereafter, the sample was stored for 1 week in a dark place / low temperature condition, and visually evaluated for freshness according to the four-stage evaluation. The result is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, it was possible to suppress the decay of the light irradiation compared to the case of no irradiation.

[Example 5]
Suppression of browning of heading lettuce by near-infrared light irradiation In the dark (0Lx) and low temperature (10 ° C) conditions, the center wavelengths emitted from LEDs are 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) and 940 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s). Of near-infrared light was applied to the head lettuce for 10 minutes. Then, it stored for 20 days in dark place and low temperature conditions, and measured the degree of browning using the color difference meter (product made from Minolta, Inc., CR-200). As for the degree of browning, the larger the value of a / b, which is the ratio of the a ^* value and b ^* value in the L ^* a ^* b ^* color system, the more red the leaf is browned. The results are shown in Table 17. As shown in Table 17, browning was suppressed compared to the case of no irradiation.

[Example 6]
In order to evaluate the practicality of the present invention, an application test to leaf lettuce produced in a plant factory was conducted. Using a near-infrared light irradiation device (LED: 315, power consumption: 65 W) on the leaf lettuce immediately after harvesting, dark (0 Lx) / low temperature (10 ° C.) conditions, bright place (1000 Lx), normal temperature (22 In each of the conditions, near-infrared light having a center wavelength of 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) was irradiated for 10 minutes. Then, it was stored for 5 days in a dark place / low temperature condition, and the amount of transpiration was determined. The display method of the amount of transpiration is as described above. The result is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the amount of transpiration was suppressed compared to the case of no irradiation in both irradiation in a dark place / low temperature condition and irradiation in a bright place / normal temperature condition. In particular, the effect of suppressing the transpiration amount of near-infrared light irradiation in a dark place / low temperature condition was remarkable.

Next, in order to compare the irradiation in the irradiation with bright place in the dark, the dark in both bright ^{place, 850nm (100μmol / m 2 /} s) irradiated for 5 ^{min, 940nm (300μmol / m 2 /} s ) Irradiation for 1 minute, 940 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) for 10 minutes. In the present example, each wavelength means a center wavelength. Then, it stored for 3 days in dark place and low temperature conditions, and measured the amount of transpiration. The display method of the amount of transpiration is as described above. The results are shown in Table 18. As shown in Table 18, a higher transpiration rate suppression effect was obtained when the irradiation was performed in the dark than when the irradiation was performed in the dark (1000 Lx). On the other hand, at 940 nm (300 μmol / m ² / s) with an increased irradiation light intensity, the same transpiration rate suppression effect was obtained when the irradiation was performed in a dark place and when the irradiation was performed in a bright place. Moreover, in the irradiation for 850 nm (100 micromol / m < ² > / s) for 5 minutes, the transpiration amount suppression effect was acquired also in the irradiation at 25 degreeC.

[Example 7]
Komatsuna was irradiated with near-infrared light having a central wavelength of 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) emitted from the LED for 5 minutes in a dark place (0 Lx) and low temperature (10 ° C.). Then, it was stored for 4 days in a dark place at 23 ° C., and the appearance was visually observed. In this example, the number of samples was 10. For comparison, non-irradiated Komatsuna was also stored under the same conditions as described above, and the appearance was visually observed. 10A and 10B are photographs showing the results. 10A and 10B, the left photograph X is a non-irradiated Komatsuna, and the right photograph Y is a Komatsuna irradiated with near-infrared light according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10 (a), in the case of no irradiation, the portion indicated by A was deflated, whereas in the komatsuna irradiated with near-infrared light, the leaf tip was compared with the case of no irradiation. With little wilting, drying of leaf tips could be suppressed. In addition, as shown in FIG. 10 (a), in the case of no irradiation, the leaf color changed to yellow in the portion indicated by B, and many portions where the leaf was faded were observed, whereas the near red color was observed. In Komatsuna irradiated with external light, there were almost no places where the leaf color changed to yellow, and the fading of the leaf could be suppressed. In addition, as shown in FIG. 10 (b), in the case of no irradiation, a thin portion was seen in the portion indicated by C, whereas in the Komatsuna irradiated with near infrared light, compared with the case of no irradiation. Stem thinning could be suppressed.

[Example 8]
The barn was irradiated with near-infrared light having a central wavelength of 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) emitted from the LED for 5 minutes in a dark place (0 Lx) and low temperature (10 ° C.). Then, it was stored for 1 day in a dark place at 4 ° C, and the appearance was visually observed. In this example, the number of samples was 10. For comparison, non-irradiated mackerel was also stored under the same conditions as described above, and the appearance was visually observed. FIG. 11 is a photograph showing the result. In FIG. 11, the left photograph X is a non-irradiated mackerel, and the right photograph Y is a mackerel irradiated with near-infrared light according to the present embodiment. Further, in FIG. 11, a portion indicated by A is a portion where black spots are seen, and a portion indicated by B is a portion where wilting is seen. First, in the case of no irradiation, the average number of sunspots on the leaves was 3.9 per sheet, whereas the number of leaves that were irradiated with near-infrared light was 1.7, which suppresses the generation of blackspots. I was able to. In addition, as shown in FIG. 11, the leaves that were irradiated with near-infrared light had less leaf tip deflation compared to the case without irradiation, and drying of the leaf tips could be suppressed. Furthermore, in the case of non-irradiation, the leaves were browned as a whole, but in the grasshopper irradiated with near infrared light, there were almost no places where the leaves were browned, and the browning of the leaves could be suppressed.

[Example 9]
Spinach was irradiated with near-infrared light having a central wavelength of 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) emitted from the LED for 5 minutes in a dark place (0 Lx) and low temperature (10 ° C.). Then, it was stored for 7 days under dark conditions at 10 ° C., and the appearance was visually observed. In this example, the number of samples was 15. For comparison, non-irradiated spinach was also stored under the same conditions as described above, and the appearance was visually observed. The results are shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. FIG. 12 is a photograph of the appearance, and FIG. 13 is a schematic view of the photograph of FIG. 12 and 13, the left side X is the non-irradiated spinach, and the right side Y is the spinach irradiated with near-infrared light according to this example. As shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, in the case of having the lower part of the spinach stem, in the spinach irradiated with near-infrared light, most of the stems of the strain stood straight, whereas in the case of no irradiation, Most of the stems drooped. Thus, the wiping of the stem was able to be suppressed by irradiating near infrared light. Moreover, the spinach irradiated with near infrared light had less leaf tip wilt compared to the case of no irradiation, and the drying of the leaf tip could be suppressed. Furthermore, the spinach irradiated with near infrared light was able to prevent the thinning of the stem compared to the case of no irradiation.

[Example 10]
Asparagus was irradiated with near-infrared light having a central wavelength of 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) emitted from the LED for 5 minutes in a dark place (0 Lx) and low temperature (10 ° C.). Then, it was stored for 5 days in a dark place at 10 ° C, and the appearance was visually observed. In this example, the number of samples was 22. For comparison, non-irradiated asparagus was also stored under the same conditions as described above, and the appearance was visually observed. FIG. 14 is a photograph showing the result. In FIG. 14, the left photograph X is unirradiated asparagus, and the right photograph Y is asparagus irradiated with near-infrared light according to this example. As shown in FIG. 14, without irradiation, wrinkles were seen in the portion indicated by A, and wrinkles in the core portion were conspicuous, whereas in asparagus irradiated with near infrared light, prominent wrinkles entered in the core portion. The wrinkles of the core part could be suppressed. In the case of non-irradiation, brownish-colored rot was observed in the portion indicated by B and a plurality of rots were observed in the cut portion at the bottom of the stem, whereas asparagus irradiated with near-infrared light was observed. Then, there was no thing that the part of the cut was rotten, and it was possible to reduce the rotting of the cut.

[Example 11]
The green onion was irradiated with near-infrared light having a central wavelength of 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) emitted from the LED for 5 minutes in a dark place (0 Lx) and low temperature (10 ° C.). Then, it was stored for 5 days in a dark place at 10 ° C, and the appearance was visually observed. For this example, the number of samples was 3 bundles. For comparison, non-irradiated green onions were also stored under the same conditions as described above, and the appearance was visually observed. FIG. 15 is a photograph showing the results. In FIG. 15, the left photograph X is an unirradiated green onion, and the right photograph Y is a green onion irradiated with near infrared light according to the present example. As shown in FIG. 15, no decay was observed in the core portion indicated by A, whereas green onions irradiated with near infrared light had no decay in the core portion, and the decay of the core portion was suppressed. It was.

[Example 12]
The cabbage was irradiated with near infrared light having a central wavelength of 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) emitted from the LED for 5 minutes in a dark place (0 Lx) and low temperature (10 ° C.). Then, it was stored for 1 day in a dark place at 10 ° C., and the appearance was visually observed. In this example, the number of samples was two. For comparison, non-irradiated cabbage was also stored under the same conditions as described above, and the appearance was visually observed. FIG. 16 is a photograph showing the results. In FIG. 16, the upper two photographs X are unirradiated cabbages, and the lower two photographs Y are cabbages irradiated with near-infrared light according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 16, in the case of non-irradiation, the outer leaf shrank and shrunk in the portion indicated by A, whereas the cabbage irradiated with near-infrared light had no leaf wilting and could suppress the wilting.

[Example 13]
Peppers were irradiated with near-infrared light having a central wavelength of 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) emitted from the LED for 5 minutes in a dark place (0 Lx) and low temperature (10 ° C.). Then, it was stored for 5 days under a bright place at 23 ° C., and the appearance was visually observed. In this example, the number of samples was seven. For comparison, non-irradiated peppers were also stored under the same conditions as described above, and the appearance was visually observed. FIG. 17 is a photograph showing the results. In FIG. 17, the photograph X on the left is a non-irradiated pepper, and the photograph Y on the right is a pepper irradiated with near-infrared light according to this example. As shown in FIG. 17, the surface of the green pepper was deflated and the glossiness was lost without irradiation, whereas the green pepper irradiated with near-infrared light had a tension on the surface and the glossiness was not lost. I was able to maintain a feeling of gloss.

[Example 14]
The eggplant was irradiated with near-infrared light having a central wavelength of 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) emitted from the LED for 5 minutes in a dark place (0 Lx) and low temperature (10 ° C.). After that, the product was stored for 7 days under a bright place at 10 ° C, and the appearance was visually observed. In this example, the number of samples was 10. For comparison, non-irradiated eggplants were also stored under the same conditions as described above, and the appearance was visually observed. FIG. 18 is a photograph showing the results. In FIG. 18, the left photograph X is an unirradiated eggplant, and the right photograph Y is an eggplant irradiated with near-infrared light according to the present example. As shown in FIG. 18, without irradiation, the surface of eggplant was deflated and the glossiness was lost, whereas in eggplants irradiated with near infrared light, the surface was stretched and the glossiness was lost. I was able to maintain a glossy feeling.

[Example 15]
Each of the tomatoes with the navel facing up (hereinafter also referred to as “preserved upward”) and the tomatoes with the navel facing down (hereinafter also referred to as “preserving downward”) are each in the dark (0Lx ) -Near-infrared light with a central wavelength of 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) emitted from the LED was irradiated for 5 minutes under low temperature (10 ° C.) conditions. Then, it stored for 3 days under dark place and 10 degreeC conditions, and calculated | required the amount of transpiration. In this example, the number of samples was 5 each for upward storage and downward storage. Note that the state shown in FIG. 19A is upward storage, and the state shown in FIG. 19B is downward storage. The display method of the amount of transpiration is as described above. The results are shown in Table 19. As shown in Table 19, the relative value of transpiration when no irradiation is 1.00 is 0.67 for upward storage and 0.87 for downward storage. In some cases, the effect of suppressing transpiration was observed.

  Moreover, about the non-irradiated tomato and the upward-preserved tomato which irradiated the near-infrared light based on a present Example, after storing for 8 days like the above, the external appearance was observed visually. The results are shown in FIG. 20 and FIG. FIG. 20 is a photograph of the appearance, and FIG. 21 is a schematic view of the photograph of FIG. 20 and 21, the left side X is a non-irradiated tomato, and the right side Y is a tomato irradiated with near-infrared light according to the present example. As shown in FIG. 20 and FIG. 21, the spatula portion withered without irradiation, whereas the tomatoes irradiated with near-infrared light do not wither the spatula portion and suppress the spatiness of the spatula. I was able to.

[Example 16]
The peach was irradiated with near-infrared light having a center wavelength of 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) emitted from the LED for 5 minutes in a dark place (0 Lx) and low temperature (10 ° C.). Then, it was stored for 8 days in a dark place at 10 ° C, and the appearance was visually observed. In this example, the number of samples was five. For comparison, non-irradiated peaches were also stored under the same conditions as described above, and the appearance was visually observed. 22 (a) and 22 (b) are photographs showing the results. 22A and 22B, the left photograph X is a non-irradiated peach, and the right photograph Y is a peach irradiated with near-infrared light according to the present embodiment. First, as shown in FIG. 22 (a), as a result of observation in a state with skin, in the case of non-irradiation, a portion indicated by A on the surface of the skin showed large damage, whereas near infrared light was irradiated. The peach did not show any noticeable damage. Next, as shown in FIG. 22 (b), when peeled and observed, the portion indicated by A was damaged and turned brown without irradiation, whereas the damaged portion was widely seen, The peach irradiated with near infrared light showed almost no damage. Thus, the damage could be reduced by irradiation with near infrared light.

  In addition, the non-irradiated peach after storage for 8 days and the peach irradiated with near infrared light according to this example were cut finely and allowed to stand for 1 hour in a dark place at 10 ° C. It was observed visually. FIGS. 22C and 22D are photographs showing the results. A photo X shown in FIG. 22C is a non-irradiated peach, and a photo Y shown in FIG. 22D is a peach irradiated with near infrared light according to this example. Is the state immediately after cutting, and the photograph on the right is the state after being left for 1 hour after cutting. 22 (c) and 22 (d), the part indicated by B is the part where browning was observed. As shown in FIGS. 22 (c) and 22 (d), in the case of no irradiation, each fragment was browned as a whole, whereas the peaches irradiated with near infrared light were slightly browned but progressed little in browning. It was. Thus, browning could be suppressed by irradiation with near infrared light.

[Example 17]
The chrysanthemum was irradiated with near infrared light having a central wavelength of 850 nm (100 μmol / m ² / s) emitted from the LED for 5 minutes in a dark place (0 Lx) and low temperature (10 ° C.). Then, it was stored for 2 weeks under the condition of 23 ° C. in a bright place with the cut surface of the stem soaked in water, and the amount of transpiration was determined. In this example, the number of samples was two or more, and the same test was performed four times. The display method of the amount of transpiration is as described above. The results are shown in Table 20. As shown in Table 20, when the non-irradiation was set to 1.00, the relative value of the transpiration amount was 0.94 for the average of four tests, and the transpiration amount suppression effect was seen.

  Further, with respect to non-irradiated chrysanthemum and chrysanthemum irradiated with near-infrared light according to this example, the wilting of leaves and flowers after storage for 2 weeks as described above was evaluated. Withering is evaluated for each of leaves and flowers in 4 stages from 0 to 3 points (0 points: no wilt, 1 point: poor wilt, 2 points: wilt, 3 points: withering), leaf wilt and flowers The total score with wilting was evaluated. The results are shown in Table 21. As shown in Table 21, in the case of no irradiation, the wilting of leaves and flowers averaged 3.8 points, whereas in chrysanthemum irradiated with near infrared light, it was 0.7 points, which suppresses the wilting. I was able to. FIG. 23 shows a photograph of the appearance of chrysanthemum used in this evaluation, and FIG. 24 shows a schematic view of the photograph of FIG. In FIGS. 23 and 24, the left side X is an unirradiated chrysanthemum, and the right side Y is a chrysanthemum irradiated with near infrared light according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, with no irradiation, the leaves and flowers were wilted, whereas with chrysanthemum irradiated with near infrared light, there was little wilt and the state after flowering could be maintained. did it.

  The method for maintaining freshness of crops of the present invention is simple and low-cost, can be applied to a wide range of crops without using chemicals, without heating, and can obtain a uniform freshness-keeping effect for the entire target crop. . Therefore, the present invention can be used effectively, for example, in use before shipment and in stores, but its application is not limited and can be used in a wide field.

10, 101, 201 Freshness maintenance device for crop 11 Light source 12 Controller 13 Farm 20 Truck 21 Transport container 15 Irradiation device body 16 Belt conveyor 17 Grip portion 30, 40 Refrigerator 31, 41 Vegetable room 50 Showcase 51 Opening portion 52 Transparent member 53 Insulation box 54 storage room

Claims (16)

A method for maintaining the freshness of a crop, which comprises irradiating the crop with near infrared light. The method for maintaining the freshness of agricultural products according to claim 1, wherein the wavelength of the near infrared light is in the range of 700 nm to 2500 nm. The method for maintaining the freshness of agricultural products according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the irradiation light intensity of the near infrared light is in the range of 0.1 µmol / m ² / s to 10000 µmol / m ² / s. The method for maintaining the freshness of agricultural products according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the irradiation time of the near-infrared light is in the range of 1 nanosecond to 72 hours. The method for maintaining freshness of agricultural products according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the agricultural products are vegetables. The method for maintaining freshness of agricultural products according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the agricultural products are fruits. The method for maintaining the freshness of a crop according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the crop is a flower. A crop freshness maintaining device used in the method for maintaining freshness of crops according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
A crop freshness maintaining device comprising a light source that emits near-infrared light. Furthermore, a light intensity control means and an irradiation time control means are provided,
The light intensity control means controls the irradiation light intensity of the light source,
9. The crop freshness maintaining apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the irradiation time of the light source is controlled by the irradiation time control means. The freshness maintaining apparatus for a crop according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the light source is a light source that irradiates near infrared light together with visible light. A storage for storing crops,
A storage, comprising the crop freshness holding device according to any one of claims 8 to 10. The storage according to claim 11, wherein the storage is a transport container. A transportation means for transporting crops,
A transportation means comprising the storage according to claim 11 or 12. The storage case according to claim 11, wherein the storage case is a refrigerator. A display device for displaying crops,
A display device comprising the freshness maintaining device for agricultural products according to any one of claims 8 to 10. A method for producing fresh produce,
Including a freshness-keeping treatment process for performing freshness-keeping treatment on harvested crops,
The production method according to claim 1, wherein the freshness-keeping treatment step is performed by the freshness-keeping method for agricultural products according to claim 1.