3.4 OXYGEN AND CARBON

The impact of the levels of gaseous oxygen and carbon in post-harvest storage are generally discussed under the rubric of controlled- or modifiedatmosphere storage. Controlled atmosphere refers to the situation where the levels of gas concentrations, temperature and humidity are regulated to the point of control (e.g. constant levels are maintained), while modified atmosphere refers to a lower level of regulation such that the atmosphere is regulated in a certain direction (e.g. accumulated gases are trapped within the storage system). Wyse (1973) is the only known study into how controlled atmosphere storage could be applied to the storage of sugar beet roots. It was found that in comparison to normal air, a 5 % concentration of carbon dioxide did not have a large effect on storability, while a 5 % concentration of oxygen with 0 % CO2 reduced sucrose losses from 1.3 % to 0.4 %. It is not known if it is possible to reach and maintain these relatively high and low concentrations, respectively, in an open post-harvest storage environment.