When developing a technology for fresh agro products, one automatically involves ‘Altes Land’, the biggest contiguous fruit-producing region in North Europe. In the region family farms, grow about 10.000 ha of mainly apples, but also cherries, pears, plums and berries. An interview with Rolf Kirchhof from the Fruit Advisory Service of the Altes Land, who has been working as a storage consultant for more than 31 years. Read More
The QCAP monitoring system contains state-of-the-art sensor technology. By sending a laser light through an atmosphere sample and detecting the light output on the other side, it can determine traces of gases in complex gas mixtures. It will be used to investigate the health status of fruit and vegetables during storage. QCAP programme leader Frans Harren presented this system in Amsterdam at the two-day research and technology event ÉPRISE roadshow. Read More
My research has focused on the impact that environmental stress has on the function of fungi. At Cranfield I had the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues in the Plant Science Laboratory on the early detection of fungal pathogens in stone fruits and strawberries. This is when my interest for the use of VOCs as biomarkers became one of the priorities in my research. Read More
Radboud University, in collaboration with NKT and VCBT, published a research article in the open-access journal Sensors on May 21, 2019. This article exploits the development, validation, and application of the first QCAP trace gas sensor, attracting more than 200 views from all around the world in two days. Read More
After iterative rounds of optimization and validation, Radboud University has managed to develop the first QCAP sensor prototype. All the functional subcomponents have been fully integrated into a transportable platform, and the system has been successfully delivered to the Flanders Center of Postharvest Technology (VCBT) for real-time trace gas sensing. Read More
To meet the end users of their detector, QCAP researchers presented their work at a booth on Fruit Logistica, the leading trade fair for the fresh produce global market. Read More
NKT Photonics is the world’s leading supplier of supercontinuum fibre lasers. The Mid-IR supercontinuum product line has been in development for a number of years, and was released onto the market in 2017. I lead the Mid IR laser product development in the UK, designing next generation Mid-IR lasers. Read More
Associate partner VBT (Association of Belgian Horticultural Cooperatives) is an umbrella and forum organisation for the horticultural sector in Belgium. Via its members, the organisation attends to more than 80 per cent of the Belgian fruit and vegetable producers. General secretary Luc Vanoirbeek elaborates on the position of VBT in the horticulture sector and the role of VBT in the QCAP project. Read More
What is your expertise?
Sensor Sense develops highly sensitive, laserbased trace gas detectors. Our main product is the ETD-300 ethylene detector, which is the fastest, most sensitive and selective ethylene detector available on the market. We also make peripherals, which make the measurements simpler and more reliable. The ETD-300 is used in research laboratories all over the world. Read More
The prototype of the new SuperK MIR laser, used in the fi rst designs of the QCAP gas detector, has been improved. During the
Summer, NKT Photonics has supplied Radboud University with three units of the updated laser system. Read More
