Hermetic Bags Help Afghan Rural Women Preserve Wheat Flour during Winter
On-farm preservation of wheat flour is a challenge due to insect pests and high relative humidity. This experiment was conducted to assess the effectiveness of hermetic bags in preserving wheat flour stored by women during the wintertime when relative humidity is high. Forty women (households) from...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Insects |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/3/237 |
| _version_ | 1797470702957232128 |
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| author | Dieudonne Baributsa Ibrahim B. Baoua |
| author_facet | Dieudonne Baributsa Ibrahim B. Baoua |
| author_sort | Dieudonne Baributsa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | On-farm preservation of wheat flour is a challenge due to insect pests and high relative humidity. This experiment was conducted to assess the effectiveness of hermetic bags in preserving wheat flour stored by women during the wintertime when relative humidity is high. Forty women (households) from two districts in Herat province, Afghanistan, stored their wheat flour for 6 months. Each woman stored 25 kg of wheat flour in a Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bag and a polypropylene (PP) woven bag. Moisture content, insect population, flour color, bread taste, and profitability of storage were assessed. Moisture content and insect population significantly increased in PP bags after six months of storage, while no changes were observed in PICS bags. There was a significant negative correlation between wheat flour color and moisture content (r = −70.7, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and insect population (r = −79.9, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Wheat flour stored in PICS bags for 6 months retained its color and produced better bread than that stored in PP bags. Storing wheat flour in PICS bags for six months showed a return on investments (ROI) of +16.9% against −33% for the PP bag. Farm households and other wheat value chain actors can safely store wheat flour in hermetic bags for up to six months under high relative humidity conditions. This would help improve food security for millions of wheat consumers in developing countries. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:39:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ccc54556cec74fd0b892a57c0ec587d7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:39:48Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj.art-ccc54556cec74fd0b892a57c0ec587d72023-11-24T01:43:08ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502022-02-0113323710.3390/insects13030237Hermetic Bags Help Afghan Rural Women Preserve Wheat Flour during WinterDieudonne Baributsa0Ibrahim B. Baoua1Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USADépartement des Sciences et Techniques de Productions Végétales, Université Dan Dicko Dankoulodo de Maradi, Maradi BP 465, NigerOn-farm preservation of wheat flour is a challenge due to insect pests and high relative humidity. This experiment was conducted to assess the effectiveness of hermetic bags in preserving wheat flour stored by women during the wintertime when relative humidity is high. Forty women (households) from two districts in Herat province, Afghanistan, stored their wheat flour for 6 months. Each woman stored 25 kg of wheat flour in a Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bag and a polypropylene (PP) woven bag. Moisture content, insect population, flour color, bread taste, and profitability of storage were assessed. Moisture content and insect population significantly increased in PP bags after six months of storage, while no changes were observed in PICS bags. There was a significant negative correlation between wheat flour color and moisture content (r = −70.7, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and insect population (r = −79.9, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Wheat flour stored in PICS bags for 6 months retained its color and produced better bread than that stored in PP bags. Storing wheat flour in PICS bags for six months showed a return on investments (ROI) of +16.9% against −33% for the PP bag. Farm households and other wheat value chain actors can safely store wheat flour in hermetic bags for up to six months under high relative humidity conditions. This would help improve food security for millions of wheat consumers in developing countries.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/3/237wheat flour storageinsect infestationquality losshermetic bagsAfghanistan |
| spellingShingle | Dieudonne Baributsa Ibrahim B. Baoua Hermetic Bags Help Afghan Rural Women Preserve Wheat Flour during Winter Insects wheat flour storage insect infestation quality loss hermetic bags Afghanistan |
| title | Hermetic Bags Help Afghan Rural Women Preserve Wheat Flour during Winter |
| title_full | Hermetic Bags Help Afghan Rural Women Preserve Wheat Flour during Winter |
| title_fullStr | Hermetic Bags Help Afghan Rural Women Preserve Wheat Flour during Winter |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hermetic Bags Help Afghan Rural Women Preserve Wheat Flour during Winter |
| title_short | Hermetic Bags Help Afghan Rural Women Preserve Wheat Flour during Winter |
| title_sort | hermetic bags help afghan rural women preserve wheat flour during winter |
| topic | wheat flour storage insect infestation quality loss hermetic bags Afghanistan |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/3/237 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dieudonnebaributsa hermeticbagshelpafghanruralwomenpreservewheatflourduringwinter AT ibrahimbbaoua hermeticbagshelpafghanruralwomenpreservewheatflourduringwinter |