Development and evaluation of earth air heat exchanger cum evaporative cool system as an energy-efficient method for storage of tomatoes.

Background: The lack of adequate on-farm storage facilities is one of the leading causes of enormous postharvest losses of fresh commodities, negatively affecting farmers' livelihoods and the sector's economic contribution. The aim of the current study was to develop and evaluate a solar-powered earth air heat exchanger cum evaporative cooling (EAHE-EC) system as an energy-efficient method for the storage of fresh produce for smallholders.

Results: The postharvest quality parameters of tomatoes stored under ambient storage (AS) and in an EAHE-EC system were assessed at regular time intervals during storage.