EFFICIENCY OF EVAPORATIVECOOLING CHAMBERS IN TOMATO (Lycopersicon esculentum) STORAGE: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION OPTION IN ZANZIBAR

Abstract

Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) are edible vegetables that encounter climate-related issues during storage. Appropriate usage of local evaporative cooling chambers (ECCs) innovative for tomato preservation is a cost-effective way to mitigate the effects of climate change. Refrigeration is quite popular, but it contains toxic greenhouse gases-emitting refrigerants, is expensive, and causes tomatoes to chill. Thus, the study intends to evaluate the effectiveness of ECCs as climate change mitigation for tomato storage. After maturation, the Roma round and Roma egg were collected in sterilized wooden bags and stored in ECCs at ambient temperatures until about noon. In ECCs the tomato sample were collected from Dunga, Nyamanzi, and Bungi. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The pour- plate method was used to isolate the fungi and the bacteria. The results indicated that, pH value increased from 5.68, 7.23 and 8.64 in 1, 2 and 3 weeks, respectively, in ambient storage to 3.46, 4.26 and 5.31 at ECCs in 1, 2 and 3 weeks respectively, far more at ambient than ECCs. At Bungi, Nyamanzi and Dunga, the average temperature decrease was 20.71 °C, 20.47 °C, and 20.52 °C, respectively, while the ambient temperature was 33.61 °C, 33.66 °C, and 33.95 °C Bungi, Nyamanzi and Dunga respectively. The average relative humidity at ambient conditions and ECCs for Dunga, Bungi, and Nyamanzi were 73.4%, 71.48%, 73.55%, and 94.71%, 95.33%, and 95.19% respectively. More- over, the samples stored at ECCs have a lower percentage weight loss about 3.99% than the ambient condition which has 21.52%. The statistical analysis revealed a significant difference in microbial load in all tomato samples stored in ECCs and in ambient conditions, with a p-value < 0.05. In ambient conditions, there were more bacteria (E.coli) was 5.46E6CFU/g, fungi (yeast) was 6.42E6 CFU/g and mold was 5.1E6CFU/g. In ECCs the E.coli (3.67E6CFU/g, 4.14E6cfu/g and 3.84E6cfu/g in Bungi, Dunga and Nyamanzi respectively), yeast (4.13E6cfu/g, 3.98E6CFU/g and 4.26E6CFU/g in Bungi, Dunga and Nyamanzi respectively) and mold (3.87E6cfu/g, 3.99E6cfu/g and 4.07E6CFU/g in Bungi, Dunga and Nyamanzi respectively). When compared to ECCs, color change occurred rapidly at ambient temperatures. The total average cooling efficiency in Dunga, Bungi, and Nyamanzi was 86.98%, 86.81%, and 82.66%, respectively. Based on the study's findings, it is reasonable to assume that ECCs were effective in decreasing ambient temperature and increasing relative humidity. As a result, initiatives should be taken to increase national awareness of the efficacy of ECCs.

Keywords: Evaporative cooling chambers, climate change mitigation, Tomato, Temperature, relative humidity.

DOI: 10.7176/JETP/15-1-01

Publication date: February 28^th 2024