Developing solar drier for maturing and drying of dates in the Arabian Peninsula

Abstract

Date farming is of great economic and social importance in the Arabian Peninsula. It is an important family-based agricultural activity. The fruit's moisture varies from 60% at the mature to about 25% at the dried stage. The high moisture content can lead to an undesired fermentation process. The safe moisture content of date, particularly for storage, lies between 24% and 25%. For some particular purposes, the water content could be reached down to 12%. Therefore, producers are drying their fresh date yield to enhance the quality and extend the shelf life. Drying of dates under a sun-protected area provides a solution to obtain the desired date color needed for marketing. Also, it helps in protecting the yield from dust and seasonal rain. ICARDA successfully developed and tested the polycarbonate chambers and houses in different countries in the region. To reduce costs and make the technology mobile, ICARDA is developing a solar mobile dryer that works off-grid and can be stored in a small area.