PARMA, Idaho—Researchers at the University of Idaho’s Parma experiment station now have access to a state-of-the-art cold storage facility.
The $500,000 facility, which recently became operational, will greatly increase the research capacity of scientists here, university officials said.
“It allows us to do more and better research on the impacts storage has on fruits and vegetables,” said entomologist Jim Barbour, superintendent of the Parma station. “It opens up a whole new world for us here.”
Researchers at the Parma station study vegetables commonly grown in the area such as onions and potatoes and fruit crops such as apples, peaches and grapes.
The station’s old cold storage facility had limited space and it was decrepit and constantly breaking down, said fruit researcher Essie Fallahi, who heads university’s pomology program.
“This increases our capacity in a huge way. It’s extremely exciting,” he said. “This is something that has been strongly welcomed by fruit growers and potato and onion growers.”
The new facility is 5,000 square feet and has 12 walk-in units that are environmentally controlled. They can also control temperature and humidity as well as carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, which can prolong the storage life of certain crops.
Before, crops studied at the station had to be stored together, which could affect or even invalidate the results of some storage trials, Fallahi said.
The Legislature this year approved Gov. Butch Otter’s budget request to provide $26,000 to cover the facility’s operating costs.
A grand opening for the facility will be June 2.
Source: www.capitalpress.com