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 CO 2 concentration, barometric and differential pressures, and temperature. With the data obtained it was possible to calculate the CO 2 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 CO 2 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.