The Advantages and Disadvantages of Buying Lottery Tomato Ripening Tomatoes give off minute quantities of ethylene gas which is active in starting the natural ripening process. If left to nature, however, the tomatoes ripen in a random way. The trickled ethylene gas process of tomato ripening consists of exposing the tomatoes to a low concentration of ethylene gas under controlled temperature conditions in a special tomato-ripening room. This treatment initiates and controls the speed of the natural ripening and colouring process in the tomatoes. Controlled ripening and colouring enables the grower to market tomatoes of more uniform. colour and quality than is possible with green or fieldripened produce. Timing of harvesting and marketing may, within limits, also be regulated by the use of controlled ripening and colouring in order to achieve maximum returns and make the best use of labour and equipment. Ripening Conditions All fruit must be mature green at harvest for controlled ripening to be successfully carried out. Relative humidity does not appear to be of great importance in the tomato-ripening process. Little moisture loss from the tomatoes occurs during the ripening process due to the relatively impermeable nature of the tomato skin. Ripening time will depend on the ripening temperature range, however, ripening temperature above 24℃will result in poor colour development with yellow or orange fruit rather than red. The heating and cooling capacity should be such that the tomatoes can be brought to the recommended ripening temperature within 24 hours. Room Size and Construction For efficiency and convenience in operation, on-farm, tomato ripening rooms are usually sized to accommodate the normal daily tomato pick during the peak harvest time. The room capacity is generally in the range of two to ten tonnes of tomatoes. However, larger rooms may sometimes he installed. Since the average ripening time is three or four days, tile provision of multiple rooms on the farm is generally desirable. Air Circulation and Ventilation System Fan-forced air circulation is required tbr adequate and uniform. temperature control and ethylene gas distribution in the ripening room. An air circulation rate of two room air volumes per minute is recommended for good results. This is equivalent to around 480 cubic metres of air per hour per tonnes of tomatoes. At the recommended heating or cooling capacity of 0. 6 to 1.2kw per tonne of tomatoes, this gives an air circulation rates are necessary to limit variations in temperature in different parts of the room to acceptable levels and to achieve an adequate rate of heating or cooling of the tomatoes. The ventilation system circulates the room air continuously, introducing a small proportion of fresh air and exhausting a similar amount of air at the same time. This prevents a build up of ethylene gas in the room and also removes carbon dioxide produced by the fruit during respiration. If this car- bon dioxide were allowed to build up to too high a level in the room atmosphere, it would interfere with the ripening process. Temperature Control System The temperature of tomatoes in the ripening room has a great influence on the ripening process. In fact, the product heat load usually represents around 80% of the total heat load. The remainder is due to heat transmission through the exterual walls of the room anti the fresh air exchange rate. In some cases, both heating anti cooling are required to maintain the room temperature within the required range. The time required for ripening can be reduced to some extent by increasing the temperature. Reverse cycle air-conditioners are successfully used for both heating and cooling in tomato-ripening rooms where humidity control does not