Implementing Internet of Things for Real-Time Monitoring and Regulation of Off-Season Grafting and Post-Harvest Storage in Citrus Cultivation: A Case Study from the Hilly Regions of Nepal

Abstract

Citrus fruit cultivation, especially mandarin oranges, is crucial to the economy of Nepal’s hilly regions due to their ideal geoclimatic conditions. Despite its economic importance, the sector faces several challenges, such as inadequate grafting techniques, low-quality saplings, and ineffective post-harvest storage. This paper explores these issues and proposes innovative solutions through the use of Internet of Things (IoT) technology. To address these challenges, we identified key areas for improvement. First, we focused on extending grafting practices during the off-season to ensure a higher success rate and better-quality saplings. Second, we examined different post-harvest storage methods to determine their effectiveness in terms of shelf life, decay loss, and quality of fruit. In addition to exploring post-harvest strategies, this paper provides preharvest recommendations for farmers, emphasizing methods to enhance fruit quality and longevity through effective pre-storage practices. Our IoT-based approach introduces off-season grafting in polyhouses and advanced monitoring for post-harvest storage. The results are promising: We achieved grafting success rates of 91% for acid lime and 92% for local mandarin orange varieties. Additionally, our research compared different post-harvest storage methods for mandarin oranges, including room, cellar, and cold chamber. We assessed these methods based on shelf life, physiological weight loss, and the total soluble solids (TSS) to titratable acidity (TA) ratio. The cold chamber proved to be the most effective method, offering superior conditions for storing mandarin oranges. The IoT-based monitoring system played a crucial role in maintaining optimal temperature, humidity, and gas content within the cold chamber, resulting in reduced post-harvest losses and extended shelf life. These findings highlight the transformative potential of IoT technology in mandarin orange cultivation and post-harvest storage.