Abstract
Interest in using hermetic technologies as a pest management solution for stored grain has risen in recent years. One hermetic approach, Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags, has proven successful in controlling the postharvest pests of cowpea. This success encouraged farmers to use of PICS bags for storing other crops including maize. To assess whether maize can be safely stored in PICS bags without loss of quality, we carried out laboratory studies of maize grain infested with Sitophilus zeamais (Motshulsky) and stored in PICS triple bags or in woven polypropylene bags. Over an eight month observation period, temperatures in the bags correlated with ambient temperature for all treatments. Relative humidity inside PICS bags remained constant over this period despite the large changes that occurred in the surrounding environment. Relative humidity in the woven bags followed ambient humidity closely. PICS bags containing S. zeamais-infested grain saw a significant decline in oxygen compared to the other treatments. Grain moisture content declined in woven bags, but remained high in PICS bags. Seed germination was not significantly affected over the first six months in all treatments, but declined after eight months of storage when infested grain was held in woven bags. Relative damage was low across treatments and not significantly different between treatments. Overall, maize showed no signs of deterioration in PICS bags versus the woven bags and PICS bags were superior to woven bags in terms of specific metrics of grain quality.
Highlights
Maize is one of the most important cereal grains grown worldwide and it is the basis for a significant portion of Sub-Saharan Africa’s diet
The Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bag has proven to be an effective alternative to chemical pesticides for stored grain
This bag uses two liners of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and an outer layer composed of woven polypropylene
Summary
Maize is one of the most important cereal grains grown worldwide and it is the basis for a significant portion of Sub-Saharan Africa’s diet. Synthetic pesticides are a non-preferred option for most smallholder farmers seeking to control grain pests. The Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bag has proven to be an effective alternative to chemical pesticides for stored grain. This bag uses two liners of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and an outer layer composed of woven polypropylene. Together, they create low-oxygen environments that reduce insect development [10]. Bauoa et al [11] demonstrated that PICS bags protect maize against insect pests during field trials with no loss of quality over 6 months. To confirm Bauoa et al.’s observations, we performed additional trials under laboratory-controlled conditions to provide additional support for the use of PICS bags to store maize
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