Hermetic Bags: A Short-Term Solution to Preserve High-Moisture Maize during Grain Drying
Maintaining maize quality while drying during a rainy season is a major challenge for smallholder farmers in developing countries. We conducted a study to evaluate the impact of temporarily storing wet maize of 18, 21, and 24% moisture content (m.c.) in hermetic Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Foods |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/13/5/760 |
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| author | Nileshwari Raju Yewle Richard L. Stroshine R. P. Kingsly Ambrose Dieudonne Baributsa |
| author_facet | Nileshwari Raju Yewle Richard L. Stroshine R. P. Kingsly Ambrose Dieudonne Baributsa |
| author_sort | Nileshwari Raju Yewle |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Maintaining maize quality while drying during a rainy season is a major challenge for smallholder farmers in developing countries. We conducted a study to evaluate the impact of temporarily storing wet maize of 18, 21, and 24% moisture content (m.c.) in hermetic Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) and polypropylene (PP) woven (control) bags for 21 days. Oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations were monitored, and m.c., germination, and visual mold were assessed. In PICS bags, oxygen dropped below 1% within 7, 11.5, and 21 days for maize at 24, 21, and 18% m.c., respectively. After 21 days, the m.c. of maize stored in PICS bags remained constant, but decreased in PP bags. Germination of maize in PICS bags decreased by 0.5, 6.2, and 95.5 percentage points for 18, 21, and 24% m.c., respectively. In PP bags, germination decreased by 17.5, 15.2, and 39.5 percentage points for the respective moisture levels. After 21 days of storage, visible mold was present on maize stored in PP bags at both 21 and 24% m.c. No mold was observed on maize stored in PICS bags, but a fermentation smell was released from maize at 21 and 24% m.c. The results indicate that maize can be effectively stored in PICS bags at 21% m.c. or below for 21 days with minimal germination loss or mold growth. These findings highlight the potential of using hermetic bags for short-term grain quality preservation just before and during drying. This new utility adds to the current use of hermetic bags for protection against pests during long-term storage. Hermetic bags’ dual functionality could significantly improve postharvest management on smallholder farms, thereby enhancing food and nutritional security and safety. Field testing is required in order to integrate this approach under smallholder farmers’ conditions (e.g., temperature, m.c., drying practices, etc.). |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-25T00:30:07Z |
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| id | doaj.art-6dc72c46c2434d708c05757e39e09880 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T00:30:07Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj.art-6dc72c46c2434d708c05757e39e098802024-03-12T16:44:23ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582024-02-0113576010.3390/foods13050760Hermetic Bags: A Short-Term Solution to Preserve High-Moisture Maize during Grain DryingNileshwari Raju Yewle0Richard L. Stroshine1R. P. Kingsly Ambrose2Dieudonne Baributsa3Department of Botany & Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USADepartment of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USADepartment of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USADepartment of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USAMaintaining maize quality while drying during a rainy season is a major challenge for smallholder farmers in developing countries. We conducted a study to evaluate the impact of temporarily storing wet maize of 18, 21, and 24% moisture content (m.c.) in hermetic Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) and polypropylene (PP) woven (control) bags for 21 days. Oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations were monitored, and m.c., germination, and visual mold were assessed. In PICS bags, oxygen dropped below 1% within 7, 11.5, and 21 days for maize at 24, 21, and 18% m.c., respectively. After 21 days, the m.c. of maize stored in PICS bags remained constant, but decreased in PP bags. Germination of maize in PICS bags decreased by 0.5, 6.2, and 95.5 percentage points for 18, 21, and 24% m.c., respectively. In PP bags, germination decreased by 17.5, 15.2, and 39.5 percentage points for the respective moisture levels. After 21 days of storage, visible mold was present on maize stored in PP bags at both 21 and 24% m.c. No mold was observed on maize stored in PICS bags, but a fermentation smell was released from maize at 21 and 24% m.c. The results indicate that maize can be effectively stored in PICS bags at 21% m.c. or below for 21 days with minimal germination loss or mold growth. These findings highlight the potential of using hermetic bags for short-term grain quality preservation just before and during drying. This new utility adds to the current use of hermetic bags for protection against pests during long-term storage. Hermetic bags’ dual functionality could significantly improve postharvest management on smallholder farms, thereby enhancing food and nutritional security and safety. Field testing is required in order to integrate this approach under smallholder farmers’ conditions (e.g., temperature, m.c., drying practices, etc.).https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/13/5/760postharvest storagegrain dryingPICS bagsgerminationsmallholder farmers |
| spellingShingle | Nileshwari Raju Yewle Richard L. Stroshine R. P. Kingsly Ambrose Dieudonne Baributsa Hermetic Bags: A Short-Term Solution to Preserve High-Moisture Maize during Grain Drying Foods postharvest storage grain drying PICS bags germination smallholder farmers |
| title | Hermetic Bags: A Short-Term Solution to Preserve High-Moisture Maize during Grain Drying |
| title_full | Hermetic Bags: A Short-Term Solution to Preserve High-Moisture Maize during Grain Drying |
| title_fullStr | Hermetic Bags: A Short-Term Solution to Preserve High-Moisture Maize during Grain Drying |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hermetic Bags: A Short-Term Solution to Preserve High-Moisture Maize during Grain Drying |
| title_short | Hermetic Bags: A Short-Term Solution to Preserve High-Moisture Maize during Grain Drying |
| title_sort | hermetic bags a short term solution to preserve high moisture maize during grain drying |
| topic | postharvest storage grain drying PICS bags germination smallholder farmers |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/13/5/760 |
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