UK: Residue free tomato ripening
In some countries to overcome this problem growers would apply on the plant a chemical so-called Ethephon. This Ethephon causes a nasty residue and has been banned by most retailers.Many residue free alternatives for replacing the chemical Ethephon have been tested since 2007.
Up until mid 2010 the only solution was to heat the greenhouse for an extra 2 weeks.The extra 2 growing weeks ripen these last green tomatoes gradually but ripening is still uneven on the vine.However extra 2 weeks on the plant does cost the grower more energy, less yield of his greenhouse usage, and more costs to keep his personnel employed.
A study showed these extra two weeks costs the grower an additional GBP 16.000 per Ha (Euro 20.000 per Ha).The extra heating of the greenhouse is also not a sustainable solution, as the carbon footprint increases.
“How about ripening the tomatoes with a very low concentration of ethylene gas on the plant?”
Was the question asked by researchers and a large tomato grower group in The Netherlands. Ethylene gas does not leave any residues on fresh produce and has been known for decades as a post harvest ripening gas.
Restrain Company Ltd. known since 1999 as the specialist for producing very low levels of ethylene gas in situ responded pro-actively and committed to doing 3 trials in 2011.The tests did attract more than 40 tomato specialists. Especially the equipment of Restrain Company Ltd with the precision of ethylene gas concentration with ease of operation, safety and reliability made visitors aware of the opportunities.
Ethylene is a colorless gas that does not smell at low concentrations. It is a simple molecule CH2 =CH2 , that is very volatile (4.2 x 10 6 Pa). At high concentrations above 2.7% (27000 ppm) it becomes explosive, but the Restrain generator is not capable of reaching even a fraction of that concentration. Thus the use of the Restrain Generator cannot lead to explosions.Ethylene is also a very safe gas. It was previously used for tens of years as an anaesthetic at concentrations of 70-80%. Now it has been replaced by modern anaesthetics, mostly due to the high explosion risk of such high concentrations and not at all for toxicology reasons.
Bananas are ripened by ethylene gas and most apple stores contain 300 to 1000 (!) times more ethylene than used by the Restrain process for tomatoes.The results were stunning. Tomatoes ripened fast, and color and taste were excellent.Finally Restrain made it happen without any residues.
The Restrain systems are all based on catalytic converting ethanol into pure ethylene gas in situ. According to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the United Kingdom the use of ethylene generators is the safest method for applying ethylene, which is a very important value when having people picking your tomatoes.Restrain Ethylene Generator with an ethylene sensor is only available on lease, so no direct investment is needed.
Advantages:• Cost savings• No residues• Safe and reliable• No off taste• No shortened shelf life• Installation in 5 minutes• Plug and play• Reduction CO2 footprint
For more information:
Dirk Garos
Restrain Company Ltd
Tel 0031 653869221
[email protected]
www.restrain.eu.com