FAQ

You need all these components:

– The Restrain ethylene generator
– The Restrain sensor. This measures the ethylene, CO2, air humidity and temperature levels in your storage facility.
– The yellow sensor cable for connecting the sensor to the generator.
– The card with the quick start guide and the daily checklist for managing your storage.

These are the things you will need to begin the pre-start phase.

You only need the jerrycans of Restrain after the pre-start phase.

Yes, the natural ethylene gas suppresses cell elongation: this we call anti-sprout control. A specific low level concentration is maintained throughout the storage period. The dynamic gas spreads through the entire crop. We recommend to repair shutters, doors and roofs in order to avoid excessive ethanol consumption.

✅BULK
✅BOX
✅LEAKY

The Potatoes must be dormant:

• Potatoes need to be dried
• After wound healing
• Temperature consistent below 10 degrees Celsius
• Maintain C02 level <2500ppm​ (Minimum of 7 days)

Ethylene is a colourless gas that does not smell at low concentrations. It is a simple molecule CH2 = CH2 , that is very volatile (4.2 x 10 6 Pa). At high concentrations above 2.7% (27000 ppm) it becomes explosive, but the Restrain Generator is not capable of reaching even a fraction of that concentration. Thus the use of the Restrain Generator can not lead to explosions. Note however that its fuel is flammable, no open fires (including smoking) or spar

The success of Restrain is the simple and reliable system, that can be installed in your store in just 5 minutes. No store modifications are required. Our ‘Installation (10 steps)‘ video shows the easy use of the Restrain ethylene system. Just plug-and-play!

DO ✅

• Generator is easy to access
• Safe place of the store
• Enough space around generator (minimal 1 meter)
• Close to 220 Volt
• Sensor is 15m away from generator (and can be put most of the time on a box)
• Horizontal

DONT ❌

• Not in path of ventilation
• Not by a (leaky) door
• Not by a louvre
• No condens on equipment (generator/sensor)

DO ✅

• Generator is easy to access (option is to put the generator on top of potatoes)
• Safe place of the store
• Enough space around generator (minimal 1 meter)
• Close to 220 Volt
• Sensor is 15m away from generator
• Horizontal

DONT ❌

• Not in path of ventilation
• Not by a (leaky) door
• Not by a louvre
• No condens on equipment (generator/sensor)

1. Select “Select Vaporization cycle”
2. Next, select “0104 – potato four percent”
3. Select “Start – Setup menu”
4. Next, select “Start” again.

The generator will now collect information by measuring the CO2, air humidity and temperature in your storage facility every half hour.

1. Press “Terminate” + 5 seconds
2. Press ” Select Vaporization cycle”
3. Press “left arrow”
4. Press “Select” 0101-potato protocol
5. Press “Start/Setup menu”
6. Press “Conditional start”
7. Start immediately at day: “22 days”
8. Press “Start”

Follow the Restrain 1+1 ventilation protocol:

1. First mix air internally for one hour
2. Immediately followed by one hour external ventilation

Without premixing with internal air the CO2 concentration might still be too high in some parts of the storage.

High CO2 levels in the store may be related also to fugal/bacterial activity. If the target of 2500ppm cannot be achieved following our 1+1 recommendation we advise to check the store for any sign of biological activity that may be increasing the CO2 concentration. If after an extensive verification of the store we cannot identify any fungal/ bacterial problem it may indicate that the tubers are still too active. Therefore, we should continue monitoring the evolution of the CO2 for at least 3 more days, understand what is the evolution and check the trend of the CO2 along the time. Moreover, it is important to point out that temperature has a direct effect on the tuber respiration, thus it is crucial to maintain the store temperature at least below 10 degrees, and preferable in the range of 7-9 degrees in the case of processing potatoes. Do not hesitate in contact our sales/ technical team for further advise about what can be the best approach taking into account your particular storage conditions.

It is crucial to follow our recommendations and do not start with the ethylene before all the pre-requisites* are met. Not following our advice may have implications in the final weight loss of the product as well as other not desired effects in the physiology of the potatoes which will affect the quality of the product at the end of the storage.

*CO2 level must be below 2500 ppm, dry product, <10 degrees and wounds healed.

If you see small sprouts on your potatoes while using Restrain, there is no reason to panic. Ethylene does not burn off sprouts like others.

An example of a storage situation:

• On day 1: Existing sprouts will be blocked in length
• On day 7: Existing sprouts at the tip thicken and become brittle after 7 days ethylene
• Unloading: During unloading/handling potatoes, the brittle spouts will break off

There is no a one-fits-all approach in regards of the duration of the ventilation, as it depends on different factors such as the variety, the particularities of each store, the crop/ ambient temperature and the evolution of the ethylene program along the storage season. Once we introduce the ethylene in our stores, it is expected to see a temporal increase in the respiration that will resume once the tubers are adapted to the new atmosphere composition. This increase is normal and will have no implications in the quality of the final product. Still, it is important to adapt the ventilation-flushing program to the actual needs of the crop in order to maintain the CO2 levels below 2500ppm. The needs of ventilation-flushing will decrease once the final ethylene level is achieved, but once again, the duration will depend on the particularities of each store.

As ethylene is a very dynamic gas, it is expected that some of them will be lost during the flushing. These losses are minimal and will have little effect on the final amount of ethanol used. However, in order to minimize them, our equipment is provided with a louvre connector that will idle the emission of ethylene during the daily flushing. Do not hesitate in contact our Sales/ technical team if you require tailored advice about what is the best approach for your store conditions

Good daily store management includes:

1. Generator OUT. When you apply gas or fog.
2. Maintain a consistent temperature of your store (below 10 degrees)
3. Always have a stock of Restrain Ethanol (1 extra can of 20L)
4. Power supply generator is alwys on (do not alter plug)
5. Perform regular checks on the generator
   – CO 2 level ( < 2500 ppm – 0,25%)
   – Ethylene levels are ok (depending on your mode of operation)

Yes, any fresh produce treated with ethylene can be consumed and/or processed immediately without delay. There is no waiting time and increases your flexibility in planning. You can unload batches at any time.

• Unbox your Restrain package with NEW sensor
• Disconnect your OLD sensor from yellow cable
• Connect your NEW sensor to the yellow cable
• Wait 1 hour to show the right values

For this command you need a USB:

• Connect your USB to the generator
• Press “Log file”
• Press “Download log file”
• Press “Download actual log file”
• You can now disconnect your USB from the generator and connect it to your PC to view the data.

No! Generator OUT. When you apply gas or fog, make sure to remove all Restrain equipment from the storage.

After you have dried and cured your onions, you can start with ethylene treatment.

Yes, in general we can say that our customers do not need to adjust their cold stores.

The Restrain Generator is placed inside your cold store during the whole storage period.

The cold store should not be too leaky. If the cold store is too open, it is impossible to maintain the required minimum levels of Ethylene gas during all the whole period.

With the Restrain Generator you do not need a so-called gas tight CA (Controlled Atmosphere) cold store. In case of CA store the Restrain Onion generator will be placed outside.

The success of Restrain is the simple and reliable system, that can be installed in your store in just 5 minutes. No store modifications are required.

Ethylene is a colourless gas that does not smell at low concentrations. It is a simple molecule CH2 = CH2 , that is very volatile (4.2 x 10 6 Pa). At high concentrations above 2.7% (27000 ppm) it becomes explosive, but the Restrain Generator is not capable of reaching even a fraction of that concentration. Thus the use of the Restrain Generator can not lead to explosions. Note however that its fuel is flammable, no open fires (including smoking) or spar

You can load batches from your cold store at any time. The ethylene concentrations will be built up once the doors of your store are shut again.

Due to the slow respiration of ethylene out of the onions, you can open the doors at any time without any negative effects.