CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE STORAGE FOR ONIONS

Onions (Allium cepa L.) produced in Saga Prefecture are sold on the Japanese market from March to October.
Yet there is a strong demand for their supply throughout the year.
To meet this demand, an advanced controlled atmosphere storage system (CA storage system) is essential for improving storability and keeping onion quality.
Employing the CA Storage System developed by Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc. (KEPCO), we implemented a long-term storage test on onions.

Onion bulbs cv.
Momiji No. 3 were subjected to four treatments with air containing 1% CO₂ and 1, 5, 10, or 15% O₂ (with N₂ comprising the remainder) at 1°C and 65 to 70% RH, a treatment in an ambient atmosphere at 1°C with 65 to 70% RH, and a treatment at room temperature.

Sprouting and root growth were inhibited and storage life was extended to a greater extent for bulbs stored in the CA Storage System than for bulbs stored at room temperature under ambient conditions.
Bulb quality was preserved for only eight months under the air storage treatment, and for four months at room temperature.
The best bulb quality resulted under CA storage treatment with 1% O₂ and 1% CO₂. Using the new system, it is considered that quality may be preserved for one year.

International Symposium on Plant Production in Closed Ecosystems

K. Tanaka, Y. Matsuo, J. Egashira

Allium cepa L., CA storage, control of environment, keeping quality, onions, respiration

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1996.440.117