Shelf Life Extension and Quality Retention of Mango Under on‐Farm Hybrid Indirect–Direct Evaporative Cooling Storage System

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Fresh fruits and vegetables experience significant postharvest losses due to their highly perishable nature, particularly in hot and dry climates where conventional refrigeration is often expensive and impractical for on‐farm use. This study presents the development and evaluation of a low‐cost, energy‐efficient indirect–direct hybrid evaporative cooling storage (HECS) system for short‐ to medium‐term on‐farm storage. The system maintains storage conditions of 18.3°C and 85.7% ± 1.4% relative humidity under ambient conditions of 40°C ± 2°C and 25% ± 2% RH. Its performance was assessed using Dasheri mango and compared with ambient and refrigerated storage. Quality changes, including physiological loss in weight (PLW), total soluble solids, carotenoids, firmness, titratable acidity, and color attributes, were significantly slower in HECS than under ambient storage. Based on the weight loss and selected measured quality attributes of the fruit, HECS extended mango shelf life to 16 days, compared with 14 days under refrigeration and only 3–4 days at ambient conditions, representing a fourfold increase over conventional storage. The 1‐t HECS unit costs approximately Rs. 3 lakhs and consumes only 1 kWh per tonne, making it an economically viable and sustainable alternative for farmers and rural entrepreneurs. The developed system offers an effective solution for reducing postharvest losses while improving marketability and income.