An Arduino-based low cost device for the measurement of the respiration rates of fruits and vegetables

A modular device based on open source software was developed for the determination of the respiration rates of produce in a closed system. The advantages of this system include simplicity, adaptability and low cost. The respirometer allowed the continuous measurement of CO2 concentration, barometric and differential pressures, and temperature. With the data obtained it was possible to calculate the CO2 production rate and to predict the O-2 consumption rate and the respiratory quotient of the product, without using an O-2 sensor. To assess the function of the device, the O-2 and CO2 respiration rates of three products were determined. The good agreement observed between the respiratory quotient and the differential pressure suggests the possibility of using the differential pressure data as a direct indicator of the respiratory quotient evolution. This data could also be useful for monitoring metabolic shifts.