The success of O3Co.’s use of ozone as a preventative measure against disease and bacteria for crops during storage is undeniable. Growers throughout the country have witnessed the results of Ozone use firsthand or have heard from friends about the powerful benefits of this unique and extremely effective control measure.

Your crop will go to market healthier and with better quality than ever before if you begin Ozone application during the next possible handling and storage cycle. The results will be felt this season, not sometime in the future. The beneficial effects of Ozone begin to work the day the crop is treated. The net effect of this level of bacterial control is the increased value of a healthy and quality crop. Growers that are able to keep a crop in good condition throughout the storage season can benefit from higher late season prices. Ozone is the way to insure your crops for higher returns the day you begin treatment.

Chemical products are purchased by growers year in and year out with varied results. Ozone creation, however, is a process. It requires equipment to generate it. Other than some replacement parts, the majority of the Ozone processing equipment is a one time expense.

The equipment requires very little power to operate, and air is the only raw material required to generate Ozone. When you compare a five year amortization schedule of the purchase price of the Ozone equipment with the reoccurring and ever-rising cost of liquid chemicals, you begin to see part of the long-term financial gain. When you add to this the benefits derived from Ozone that aren’t chemically available – the health ramifications and the non-corrosive side effects – the reason becomes even more compelling.

It’s hard to imagine that a treatment as beneficial as Ozone could be so easy to integrate into your system. The required steps are two-fold.

The first step is application of Ozone in saturation levels. As your crop goes into storage, it passes through a sealed chamber installed on your present conveyor. Ozone is applied at high concentrations at this stage and acts quickly with toxic effect on the undesirable pathogens. The disinfection can occur in seconds. All other oxidants would require several minutes to provide the same level of deactivation. The enclosed conveyor allows these levels to remain constant with spill-off values to maintain consistency and to insure safety. Ozone is heavier than air and actually sinks down over the crop as it passes. The treated crop goes into storage much like any other with a protective Ozone layer intact. The process is a seamless addition to your current handling and storage approach and will not increase your storage efforts.

Remember, Ozone is a gas, so your crops go into storage dry.

The next step is the maintenance procedure. The same Ozone machine is connected to your ventilation system. Through the duration of storage, the entire crop is constantly exposed to levels of Ozone approaching two parts per million. This kills all the pathogens in the air during storage and after the initial tunnel treatment. When the crop is ready to go to market, the Ozone injection system is shut off and storage air returns to normal.

The Ozone equipment is self contained in a convenient trailer. The machine generates Ozone with small electrical discharges in safe, stainless steel cartridges, and, just like lightning, Ozone is discharged. It is then moved through the venting system and onto your crops.

The Ozone machine can be attached to a hitch and can be moved from one location to another with a pick-up truck.

In a perfect world, crops would go into storage and remain as fresh as the day they came out of the ground. Unfortunately, even the most sophisticated storage conditions invite bacteria and fungus growth. A control agent must be used. The question is whether that will be Ozone, a naturally occurring, safe substance, or a chemical treatment.

Your crop, protected by Ozone, not only remains free of bacteria and fungus, but will breathe better and lose less weight due to excess sweating. Your crop simply comes out of storage in better all-around condition, making it even more marketable.

Future Offices of O3Co