Controlled Atmosphere (CA) Storage for Apple Orchard

Project Challenge

An apple cooperative wanted to extend the storage life of their harvest from 3 months to over 9 months, allowing them to sell produce year-round at better prices. This required a highly airtight Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage facility that could precisely manage oxygen, carbon dioxide, and humidity levels.

Solution Provided

We constructed several gas-tight CA rooms, each equipped with its own refrigeration unit, nitrogen generator, CO2 scrubber, and ethylene analyzer. The entire system is managed by a central controller that continuously monitors and adjusts the atmosphere inside each room to the optimal parameters for the specific apple variety being stored.

Project Results

The client is now able to store apples for up to 10 months while maintaining harvest-level freshness, firmness, and taste. This has allowed them to access off-season markets and increase their revenue by an average of 35%.