Application of Ozone Gas Technology for Extending Shelf Life and Controlling Pests in the Orchid and Grape Industries

This paper presents the application of ozone for pest control in large-scale systems, with the potential for industrial implementation. The designed ozone generation system is capable of producing an ozone concentration of 550 ppm within 30 min in a controlled chamber. Ozone technology was applied for the control of insect pests in the orchid export industry, both for current use and future applications. A high-concentration ozone generator was designed to operate at temperatures ranging from 30 to 35 degrees Celsius. The total operating time of the system was 90 min, with a power consumption of 2647 watts. Experimental results indicated that the orchids were not adversely affected by the ozone exposure and that no chemical residues remained after treatment. Furthermore, the research evaluated the effectiveness of ozone fumigation against common orchid pests, namely aphids and red spider mites. When exposed to ozone concentrations ranging from 550 to 650 ppm for 60 min, the system achieved a 100% pest elimination rate for both species. These findings suggest that ozone treatment is a promising alternative to chemical pesticides for pest control in the orchid industry.