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A researcher from Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) in Gazipur, Dr Golam Ferdous Chowdhury, has developed a modern technology called ‘ripening chamber’ to ripen fruits safely and commercially without using harmful chemical.
He, also a senior scientific officer of the Postharvest Technology Division at BARI, said this method will help to reduce the indiscriminate use of harmful chemicals to ripen various fruits in the country.
On the other hand, the farmers will benefit commercially, said the inventor.
This chamber was set up at the initiative and under the direct supervision of a mango farmer and exporter.
Tomatoes, mangoes, and malta have been experimentally ripened in the chamber which results acquiring Green Malta oranges to a beautiful yellow colour. This method is a globally recognised technique for ripening fruits.
Such a ripening chamber has been set up commercially for the first time in Bangladesh in Shibganj of Chapainawabganj district. On the other hand, the process of setting up two more chambers in Narsingdi and Madhupur of Tangail is underway.
In this method, no harmful chemicals are directly applied to the fruit. Moreover, it will be possible to ripen any amount of fruit as per the demand. Farmers will benefit commercially. On the other hand, the exporters also think that the use of this method will have a positive effect on the export of fruits.
According to the BARI sources, the country produces a large number of different types of fruits every year. The fruits produced by different trees in the country do not ripen together. Due to the periodic ripening of the fruit on the tree, despite the desire, not all the fruits can be harvested for consumption due to the fact that some of the fruits are unripe. So many people collect them raw and try to ripen them by applying various types of harmful chemicals in alternative methods.
Moreover, due to the huge demand for some fruits at the beginning of the season, some unscrupulous people pick them from trees and sell them to the consumer using chemicals, which is very harmful to human health.
All the fruits that are eaten to meet the nutritional needs of the human body, have to face the opposite danger due to the presence of harmful chemicals. Considering these problems, the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute has developed the Low-Cost Ripening Chamber system.
The inventor of this method Ferdous said, “This is a safe and modern method. Through this, the matured fruit can be picked and ripened according to the need or demand. It is not harmful to health as no chemical is directly sprayed on the fruit.”
He further said, “All fruits produce ethylene naturally. When this ethylene reaches a certain optimum or moderate level, the fruit ripens and ripens gradually. We often let the fruit ripen off the tree in a ripe state and then it slowly produces ethylene and ripens in three to five days and then we can eat it.
“However, we need fruit every day. We can't get ripe mango, banana, pineapple, or papaya from the tree as per our demand. We can ripen the fruit in one day through the ripening chamber and supply it to the market according to demand.”
How the ripening chamber works
GolamFerdous said that an airtight commercial chamber needs to create so that no gas can leak from inside. For this, a room of 20 feet long and 25 feet wide can be made using boards or panels. An air conditioner will be required to control the temperature of the room.
After that, an ethylene generator needs to be set up in the room to produce ethylene in the chamber. Liquid ethylene will be used in this generator. When connected to electricity, liquid ethylene will be released from the generator in a gaseous state and spread throughout the room.
The ethylene generator will have a detector to monitor how much ethylene has spread in the room. This will allow us to control the ethylene gas. For example, for ripening bananas, 50-100 ppm (Parts per million) of ethylene is needed. Once this amount of ethylene is produced in the room, operator will turn off the generator by checking the detector.
The fruits should be arranged in plastic crates or cartons, leaving a small gap from the wall. Then the temperature in the room needs to be controlled. For example, the temperature for bananas should be maintained at 20 degrees Celsius. The air conditioner will be used to adjust the temperature as needed.
After that, ethylene needs to be pushed from the ethylene generator. Due to the specific application of ethylene in the room, the genes responsible for ethylene production in the fruits will be stressed, causing the fruits to ripen quickly. In this way, it is possible to ripen fruits within 24-48 hours. This allows for the ripening of more or fewer fruits as needed without affecting the nutritional value or taste of the fruits.
Relevant businesspersons stated that creating a ripening chamber measuring 15 feet in length and 10 feet in width could cost between Tk 10,00,000 to 15,00,000. If this chamber can be used commercially and engaged daily for ripening fruits, this chamber can be productive for people.
Shamim Khan, the owner of Nawabi Mango in Shibganj, mentioned that there is an association of mango farmers in Shibganj and the idea of a ripening chamber was primarily inspired by them. To establishthe chamber, the total cost was around Tk 7,00,000, of which the district administration provided Tk 4,00,000.
Shamin added that businesspersons in the neighbouring countries like India, Pakistan, and Thailand use this method to ripen fruits for export. This method needs to be more widely introduced and made known to our country's businesspersons and farmers.
Shafiqul Islam Sana, the owner of Sadi Enterprise, an exporter of mangoes from Bagha Upazila in Rajshahi district, said that this method could play an important role in fruit export, especially for mangoes. When mangoes are processed using this chamber, they do not easily spoil or rot, thus playing a significant role in export.
The researchers claim that the government should take initiatives to make this method widely known among farmers, traders, and exporters to prevent the widespread use of chemicals in fruits. Awareness should be raised among the stakeholders to motivate them to use the method.
