A Comparative Study of Ethylene Detection Methods in Fruit Supply Chains: a Review
Kirandeep Kaur, Rajpreet Singh, Gagandeep Kaur
Abstract
Ethylene is a primary plant hormone associated with the ripening process of fruits. Ethylene can initiate the ripening process in fruits even at sub-parts per million concentrations. Therefore, ethylene monitoring during fruit transport and storage is very important in order to ensure optimum quality control and shelf-life extension. However, due to small molecular size, non-polar and highly stable nature of ethylene, the development of ethylene detectors on trace level concentration always remains a challenge. The ubiquitous interference of water molecule to various types of ethylene gas-sensing technologies require efforts to design and utilize effective and durable moisture filters for accurate ethylene gas detection. This work compares various ethylene detection methods for laboratory use as well as portable devices for field applications. Particularly, three methods have shown the most encouraging results in ethylene detection and are used to manufacture portable devices for fruit supply chains: electrochemical, gas chromatography and optical detection. New chemical and physical sensors for ethylene detection and quantification have been compared with scientific literature based on comparable parameters. The parameters specifically focus on the needs of horticulture industry like sensitivity, selectivity, price, robustness and inexpensiveness. This study shall assist the fruit logistics in better selection of ethylene sensing technologies in the fruit supply chain, resulting in better fruit quality and reduced losses after harvest.