A low-cost storage for horticulture commodities for enhancing farmer's income: An overview on evaporative cooling

India is one of the leading countries in the production of horticultural produces. Still, the lack of scientific knowledge, infrastructure, and nonexistence of proper storage facilities forces the farmers to sell their produce in the nearby market immediately after harvest. Although refrigeration and cold storage facilities are developing now to store the horticultural produce, they are not only energy-intensive but also require huge investment. The majority of farmers cannot afford these facilities even on a rental basis for their harvest. The metabolism of fresh horticultural commodities continues even after the harvest and the rate of deterioration rises because their maturation, senescence, and unfavorable atmospheric factors predominate, especially in tropical countries. A low-cost, energy-efficient, environmentally benign and made from the locally available material evaporative cooling chamber (ECC) may resolve some of these issues of on-farm storage. It is an efficient and cost-effective way to reduce the temperature and increase relative humidity inside the chamber. A lot of evaporative cooling structures were developed, but still, this simple technology did not make a dent in the production catchment rural areas. In this article, an attempt is made to review the basic principle, methods, factors that influence storage conditions of perishables, design consideration of different evaporative cooling systems, major limitations, challenges, and constraints of its low adoption. The recent developments for modifications and improvement in existing ECCs using the latest technological interventions with the help of Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things and their cost analysis are also highlighted. Practical Applications Adoption of a low-cost and environmentally friendly evaporative cooling system for on-farm storage made from locally available materials will reduce postharvest losses and improve the economic status of farmers.