Influence of Zero Energy Cool Chamber on Storage and Quality of Vegetables

The significant post-harvest deterioration of fresh produce in rural areas, which lacks cold chain infrastructure, a major obstacle to maximizing farmer profitability and ensuring food security. The quality retention of vegetables is intrinsically linked to rate of moisture loss, which is quantified by physiological weight loss. This rate is dramatically accelerated due to high temperatures during summer season. To address this challenge, a study was conducted utilizing the Zero Energy Cool Chamber (ZECC), a low-cost structure independent of non-renewable energy sources. The objective was to evaluate the comparative storage duration (in days) and quality retention of five diverse summer vegetable. Okra, Radish, Cauliflower, Spinach and Oyster mushroom stored in a ZECC and typical rural open basket practice. The trial showed that ZECC effectively moderated the storage environment during the summer month of April, achieving a temperature reduction of up to 5.8°C (from 35.80 °C ambient to 30.050 °C internal) and raising relative humidity from 55.0% to 95.5%. This environmental control drastically reduced moisture loss. Okra stored in the ZECC for three days exhibited only 7.0% PLW, whereas the open basket comparator showed 23% PLW after the same period. For highly perishable Oyster Mushroom, the ZECC maintained marketable quality for two days with 9.75% PLW, significantly preventing the rapid desiccation and total spoilage (58% PLW) observed in ambient conditions after two days. The findings confirm that ZECC technology provides advantage in minimizing post-harvest losses, enhancing freshness, and extending the marketable life of diverse vegetables in constrained environments.