PROBLEMS OF STORING DIFFERENT VEGETABLES TOGETHER

In discussions concerning storage problems, temperature, humidity and controlled atmosphere are often spoken of. On the other hand one seldom hears discussed the problems arising when one stores different products together. We know fairly well the ideal storage conditions for the individual products but what considerations one must take when storing different products together, which happens during transportation, in storage and in shops one hears relatively little about. This is a greater problem than is generally imagined. This does not only apply to the storage of different vegetables together, but in many cases fruit and flowers are stored together with vegetables and occasionally even other products. What can then happen to vegetables, and also the effect vegetables have on other products, can be many times of greater importance to know, so that unnecessary damage can be avoided.

It is relatively well known that apples and other fruits when stored together have a detrimental effect upon the storage life of flowers, particularly carnations. It is less well known that certain vegetables can have the same effect on flowers, as well as fruit effecting vegetables, and vegetables can effect each other.

When we in Sweden at the agricultural college at Alnarp, made contact with the wholesale trade in order to ascertain what interest they had for investigations into storage problems of this type, we found that a great interest was shown for these problems. We also discovered that there was a great lack of knowledge concerning these problems both in the wholesale and the retail trade. The trial programme, which has been carried out, has been done in cooperation with the two largest wholesalers in Sweden (ICA and KF), who with great interest have studied the trials and later given out publications to inform their retailers and others concerned, about the results.

The trials, which are at an initial stage, are carried out partly as combined storage trials in isolated rooms. At Alnarp there are 26 one cubic metre in volume well insulated boxes. The products to be stored together are placed in these boxes according to a special plan, at a definite temperature, usually 10°C. The products have been stored together for 3 days after which they have been stored alone for 3 days, followed by judging. The results have been based upon quality assessment and waste figures. Some types of combined storage trials have also been carried out in shop refrigerators at regulated temperatures.

Judging of different products aggressiveness has in certain cases been made in relation to carnations. It has been shown that this flower is extremely sensative to the effects of ethylene from different products (table 1 and 2).