Patent ID: 8763412
Filing Date: 2014-07-01
Classification: A01F,A23B,A23L

Abstract:
1. A method of preserving respiring plant matter comprising: placing respiring plant matter disposed in one or more storage boxes in a vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber comprising walls enclosing a storage space, whereby the respiring plant matter produces respiration products including transpired moisture which contribute to a humidified air environment within the storage space; controlling the temperature in the vacuum chamber with a refrigeration unit so that the walls of the vacuum chamber have a temperature between about 0° C. and +16° C.; simultaneously evacuating the vacuum chamber with a vacuum pump to remove a portion of the air, metabolic products and transpired moisture comprising the humidified air environment from the storage space; simultaneously controlling the pressure within the vacuum chamber by use of a vacuum regulator which senses the pressure within the storage space through an external register connected to the storage space, wherein the vacuum regulator operates at a substantially higher temperature than the temperature within the vacuum chamber; continuously introducing air into the vacuum chamber in an amount sufficient to satisfy the respiratory oxygen needs of the respiring plant matter therein and that further is sufficient to prevent the respiring plant matter from suffering low O correlating the controlled temperature within the storage space with (i) the controlled pressure within the storage space, (ii) the regulated air, metabolic products and transpired moisture evacuation rate, and (iii) the regulated air intake rate based on the respiring plant matter's O