Why Low Oxygen Matters in Apple and Pear Storage
Low oxygen storage is increasingly used as a non-chemical way to extend apple and pear storage life and help reduce post-harvest disorders such as superficial scald and flesh browning. Research over the past 20 years has shown important quality advantages over conventional CA, including improved firmness, better colour retention, and flavour preservation during storage.
But low oxygen storage only works when it is managed correctly: store too high and you lose the benefit; store too low and you risk fruit damage.
HarvestWatch helps answer one of the biggest questions in DCA storage: How low can oxygen go before fruit stress becomes unsafe?
What is HarvestWatch DCA-CF?
How does it work?
HarvestWatch DCA-CF is a fruit monitoring system used for Dynamic Controlled Atmosphere (DCA) storage for apples and pears. It detects when fruit is approaching low oxygen stress, helping operators manage the room oxygen based on the fruit’s actual physiological response rather than relying only on a fixed set-point.
HarvestWatch helps the operator answer three critical questions:
-
How low can I safely run oxygen in this room?
-
Is the fruit’s response changing over time?
-
Should I adjust the oxygen strategy as the season progresses?
HarvestWatch DCA-CF scans the fruit every hour and monitors the fluorescence response from the chlorophyll in the skin of the fruit. As oxygen levels are lowered, the fruit eventually reaches a point where it begins to experience stress because oxygen is too low. When this happens, its fluorescence response changes. HarvestWatch detects this change, helping operators accurately identify the fruit’s Low Oxygen Limit (LOL).
By storing just above this point, operators can achieve the benefits of low oxygen storage without damaging the fruit.
Watch an overview of how HarvestWatch DCA-CF works, including easy system setup, fruit monitoring and low oxygen management.
Why Choose HarvestWatch for DCA?
Ease of Use
HarvestWatch is designed for practical commercial use, with a simple plug-and-play networking installation that makes setup straightforward.
Flexible & modular
HarvestWatch is well suited to complex rooms with multiple lots or maturities. Additional sensors can be added where needed, allowing operators to monitor exact fruit response rather than relying on an average.
Continuous hourly monitoring
HarvestWatch provides continuous hourly monitoring of the fruit’s response throughout storage. This gives operators on-going visibility as conditions change.
Precise & Direct
HarvestWatch uses chlorophyll fluorescence to precisely detect the fruit’s Low Oxygen Limit directly from the fruit itself, allowing the operator to respond timeleously.
Respond to the weakest fruit
In commercial storage, the room is only as strong as its most sensitive fruit. HarvestWatch helps operators detect the response of weaker fruit in the room, making it possible to manage oxygen more safely and accurately across mixed fruit conditions.
Detects changing fruit condition
Because HarvestWatch tracks the fruit’s physiological response over time, it can help reveal incorrect storage conditions as well as changes linked to fruit ageing and senescence.
500
HarvestWatch DCA-CF rooms in the USA
3 500
Commercial rooms worldwide
25
Research institutions using the technology
Conventional CA vs Dynamic CA
Conventional CA
-
Fixed atmosphere set-points.
-
Based mainly on prior storage recommendations
-
Not responsive to changing fruit condition during the season
In conventional CA storage, oxygen is usually kept at a fixed target based on general recommendations for the fruit and cultivar.
In DCA storage, oxygen is managed dynamically, based on how the fruit is actually responding to it's environment.
For operators pursuing ultra-low oxygen storage in apples and pears, this means better optimisation of storage conditions and a more safe and confident route to low oxygen management.
DCA with HarvestWatch
-
Dynamic oxygen strategy
-
Based on measured fruit response
-
Designed for safe ultra-low oxygen storage with confidence
-
Particularly relevant for apples and pears where low oxygen optimisation matters
Recent News
HarvestWatch DCA in South Africa and the USA
In South Africa, Gas At Site supplies and supports HarvestWatch DCA-CF as part of a complete solution for apple and pear storage.
In the USA, HarvestWatch is supplied through Industrial Gas Solutions, Inc (IGS), the registered HarvestWatch partner company.
Together, Gas At Site and Industrial Gas Solutions support fruit storage operators with practical HarvestWatch experience in both markets.