TECHNOLOGIES FOR LONG-TERM STORAGE OF LATE-RIPENING STONE FRUITS

Аннотация

Long-term storage of late-ripening stone fruits, such as apricots, peaches, and apples, is a pressing issue in agriculture. This article analyzes modern technologies used in the storage of late-ripening stone fruits, including cooling, gas-free storage, heat treatment, freezing, and drying technologies. The possibility of extending the shelf life of fruits through new innovative technologies, nanotechnologies, and biotechnologies will also be considered. The results of the articleshow theeffectiveness offruit storage technologies and their economic benefits. Keywords:Late-ripening fruits, storage technologies, cooling, gas-free storage, freezing, drying, innovations. Introduction. Currently, the growing population and the need to provide them with uninterrupted food supplies throughout the year are especially relevant in the matter of fruits and vegetables. Sustainable development of fruit and vegetable growing has a direct impact not only on improving the standard of living of the rural population, but also on increasing the social well-being of the entire population of the country. In the off-season, it will be possible to provide the population with high-quality fruits and vegetables by developing effective plans for the storage of fruits and vegetables, studying the experience of developed countries, and applying them in practice. This, in turn, contributes to ensuring food security and improving publichealth. Fruits are grown at certain times of the year and are a source of vitamins, mineral salts, carbohydrates, organicacids, and other substances necessary forhuman nutrition. For the quality of fruit storage, it is very important to understand what changes occur during storage and how environmental factors affect these processes. Storage mode is selected depending on the type and variety of each fruit. Even fruits of the same species are sorted into different varieties in storage warehouses, and each requires separate humidity and temperature conditions. Thus, when storing fruits, their characteristics and environmental factors must be taken into account, which contributes tothepreservation oftheirquality. page1974 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ISSN:2692-5206,ImpactFactor:12,23 AmericanAcademicpublishers,volume05,issue06,2025 Journal: https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai Late-ripening fruits - fast-ripening fruits such as apricots, peaches, and apples - are widespread in agriculture and have high economic importance. They have a short shelf life and, especially after ripening, quickly change and become unusable. There is a need to develop and implement technologies for long-term storage of these fruits. The preservation and use of grown products without loss or quality degradation has long been one of human needs. Proper organization of storageensures long-term preservation ofproduct qualityand prevention oflosses. Many technologies have been developed for long-term storage, each of which works to slow down the ripening process offruits, preserve quality, and extend the shelf life. At the same time, storage technologies, especially such methods as cooling, gas-free storage, heat treatment, freezing, and drying, contributeto theeffective development ofthe fruit industry. We will conduct a comprehensive analysis of the technologies used in the storage of late- ripening stone fruits, discuss their advantages and disadvantages, and explore the possibilities ofnewinnovativetechnologies. Methods. In this study, the scientific literature on storage technologies for late-ripening stone fruits was analyzed. Data were collected in the study based on the following methodologies and methods: Cooling technologies: The use of refrigeration rooms and special cooling systems in fruit storage, reducing the internal temperature of the fruits and thereby slowing down respiration processes. Gas-free storage: Storing fruits in gas-free rooms, slowing down the ripening process by controllingoxygen and carbondioxidelevels. Heat treatment: Methods of heat regulation for sterilizing fruits at low temperatures, protecting themfrom microbes and otherharmful organisms. Freezing and drying technologies: Fruit storage time is extended through freezing or drying processes. Freezing changes the internal structure of the fruit, while drying reduces the volume ofthefruit byremoving water. Results. Cooling technologies: The research results show that storing fruits by cooling allows for extending the shelf life, especially for apricots and peaches. In refrigeration rooms, the temperature of fruits should be around 0°C, which slows down the respiration process and delays ripening. At the same time, special ventilation systems and moisture regulation methods areused to preserve theappearance and qualityoffruits during thecooling process. Gas-free storage: Gas-free storage significantly slows down the ripening process by reducing oxygen levels and increasing carbon dioxide levels. This technology i