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Opuntia ficus

Prickly Pears

Recommended

Conventional cooling

Dynamic Cooling

Pre-cooling

De-greening

Ripening

General Tips for Prickly Pears

Storage temperatureRelative Humidity (RH)DurationPre-coolingSensitivity to ethyleneEthylene ProductionControlled Atmosphere
Storage temperature: 6° - 8° C
Relative Humidity (RH): 90%-92%
Duration: 2-5 weeks
Pre-cooling: Air cooling
Sensitivity to ethylene: Low
Ethylene Production: Low
Controlled Atmosphere: Not recommended

Storage Temperature: Recommended storage temperature is 6 °C – 8 °C.

High Humidity: Use an air cooler with a low temperature differential (ΔT) between inlet and outlet air.

Storage Duration: Recommended period is 2 – 5 weeks.

Controlled Atmosphere: Not recommended, as it does not significantly extend shelf life and lacks sufficient supporting research.

Ventilation: Install a digitally controlled ventilation mechanism, based on specialized airflow design.

Dynamic Cooling: Allows real-time monitoring and precise adjustment of all storage parameters across multiple points in the chamber.

IMPORTANT TIPS
  • Harvest fruits at full maturity.
  • Monitor sugar content during harvest (12° – 17° Brix using optical refractometers).
  • Pre-cool immediately after harvest if the fruit shows no skin injuries.
  • Avoid temperatures below 5 °C, which can cause chilling injury.
  • Maintain low CO₂ concentrations within cold-storage chambers to preserve fruit quality.