Maize Storage Research Articles

Economics of Bulk Storage Techniques: Maize and Cowpea Storage in Ghana

High postharvest loss is one of the major challenges faced by farmers in many African countries in their efforts to achieve food and nutrition security. Several postharvest techniques have been developed and introduced to farmers aimed at reducing food losses. This study evaluated the economic viability of four such grain storage techniques using capital budgeting techniques. Two grain protectants were applied at recommended rates in three treatment combinations to jute sacks, PICS sacks, polytanks, and poly sacks at different treatment levels and at different discount rates. Under maize storage, the net present value of all treatments yielded positive net returns. The polytank technique proved to be the most economically viable storage technique, followed by PICS and then jute sacks. Under cowpea storage, polytank proved to be the most viable, followed by PICS. This is consistent under replacement chain method and equivalent annual annuity under the three different discount rates used. Cowpea is best stored in polytanks and PICS sacks. Polytank is recommended as the most economically viable storage technique for both maize and cowpea storage. PICS is also recommend for both maize and cowpea storage. However, jute sacks and poly sacks are not suitable for cowpea storage even under chemical treatment, especially under long-term storage (over 6 months). The choice of storage technique should consider the commodity under consideration.

Adoption and disadoption of the improved clay granary for maize storage: evidence from the northern and central regions of Benin

Adoption and disadoption of the improved clay granary for maize storage: evidence from the northern and central regions of Benin

Evaluating the conditions of family farming maize storage in Mahelane, Mozambique

The problems of storage of agricultural products are an object of permanent study. The objective of this work was to survey some stages of production, mainly storage, by interviewing producers in Mahelane, Namaacha district, in Mozambique. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 40 producers, selecting those who work with the District Services of Economic Activities - SDAE, in a total area of 44 ha of production of various crops, especially corn. Respondents were selected through a non-probabilistic sampling, the “snowball” technique. The parameters evaluated were: the interviewees’ characterization, mean grain moisture, number of weevils, grain mass, and primary post-harvest operations run by small producers. Women represent the largest percentage of labor in the maize production fields in the Mahelane area. The stored maize moisture rate ranges between 14.5 % and 16.4 %, and storage time is between 9 months and 12 months. The maize in Mahelane is mostly stored on the cob, 65 %, and with straw, 75 %. The interviewed producers have several problems regarding the post-harvest of maize, requiring technical assistance and training, especially the local population, who need guidance on the best way to store the grain and the seed.

Maize seeds storage systems and post-harvest losses in Benin: diversity, efficiency, storage insects, and implications for better products conservation

Background: Storage pests cause extensive damages to stored products and are responsible for huge post-harvest losses affecting the quality, quantity, and germination potential of stored grains and seeds. This study aimed to investigate the variability of traditional methods of storage and conservation of maize seeds practiced by farmers to propose alternative measures for a significant reduction of post-harvest losses of seeds. Methods : Using participatory research approaches, we surveyed farmers from 21 randomly selected villages in 5 districts in southern Benin. Data were collected on the storage structures of the 3 certified and most produced maize seeds varieties. The forms under which maize seeds are stored, as well as the damage caused by the major storage insects, were determined. Results: Results showed that most farmers store maize seeds in the form of grains and spathe. Following the laboratory observation of the three maize varieties studied, the DMR / QPM variety produced only in the district of Zagnanado has a low abundance of storage insects and a low rate of post-harvest losses. Sitophilus zeamais is the most abundant pest of the three maize seed varieties followed by Prostephanus truncatus. The variety 2000 SYN EE was the most attacked by storage insects. The most promising post-harvest agricultural practice is the storage of maize with spathe saved in jute bags, in granaries or cribs. Conclusions: Storage insects contribute to the depreciation of the quality of grains, loss of grain and reduction of their germinability in stock. Improving farmers' awareness of these post-harvest practices could help to reduce the damage of storage insects.

Comparative Bioactivity of Bamboo Leaf Ash and Bularafa Diatomaceous Earth against Maize Weevil (Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky)

Maize is one of the major staple foods in Sub-Saharan Africa and there is serious loss in maize storage due to insect damage. This study compared the bioactivity of Bamboo Leaf Ash (BLA) and Bularafa Diatomaceous Earth (BDE) against Maize Weevil (Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky) under laboratory conditions. Insecto®, a commercialized DE was also tested as standard check. Adults of the insects were exposed on maize admixed with the BLA at dose rate of 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000ppm; BDE and insecto® at a dose rate of 1,000ppm, at 28.20C and 82.2% relative humidity. Mortality increased with increasing exposure duration and all treatments showed mortality of more than 80% after 14days post-treatment compared to negative control with 0%.The treatments suppressed F1 progeny. Treated grains have weight loss less than 4%, kennel damage less than 14% and grain germination showed no significant change. The decreasing efficacy of the dusts against this insect is Insecto®> BLA > BDE. BLA and BDE have potential for the management of insect pests of stored grain in Nigeria.

Assessment and Prediction of Free Fatty Acids Changes in Maize Based on Effective Accumulated Temperature in Large Granaries

ABSTRACT In large granaries, maize storage period could last 3–5 years in China. Free fatty acids (FFA) content is commonly used as a sensitivity indicator of grain quality changes during storage. Samples of the stored grain are taken manually and tested in the laboratory monthly for regular quality monitoring. Although substantial labor and time are consumed, the testing way lacks of real-time. Temperature is a main factor influencing the quality of stored grain. In this study, it was analyzed that the effective accumulated temperature (EAT) had a strong correlation coefficient with FFA. Classification and regression trees (CART) and model trees (ML) in machine learning (ML) methods were used to estimate FFA by EAT based on data collected from 11 large granaries in northeastern China. While the minimum number of samples for segmentation was set as 20, the two models both had the optimal performance. The two models were evaluated by mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE) and the coefficient of determination (R2). The MAE, RMSE and R2 of CART and MT are 1.296, 1.761, 0.759; 1.247, 1.821, and 0.741, respectively. As CART had the lower RMSE and the larger R2, the model performance of CART was better. The model provided a method to estimate the changes of FFA based on the exist temperature monitoring system in large granaries as a way of stored maize quality real-time monitoring.

Storage Losses of Maize in Four Different Storage Methods in Thangrong Gewog, Mongar Dzongkhag

Several maize storage technologies are made available and recommended to the farmers in the villages by different agencies to reduce post-harvest losses. This study aimed to evaluate the storage losses of maize mainly to insect and fungal damages in four different storage methods for a maximum of five months storage period in Thangrong, Mongar dzongkhag (district). Freshly harvested maize was shelled, dried, weighed and stored under four different storage methods and replicated three times for each storage method. Moisture content, physiological weight loss, insect and fungal damages were the storage quality parameters assessed monthly until five months of storage. All the storage methods maintained the moisture content within the range recommended for the safe storage of maize (12-14 %). The physiological loss of weight (PLW) was the lowest at 0.10 % for the maize grain stored in super bag and the highest at 0.30 % was observed in grains stored in curing and storage shed over the four-month storage period. Traditional storage and silos resulted in PLW of 0.20 % and 0.16 %, respectively. Overall insect damage (sum for five months) of 2.54 % in the traditional storage was the highest reported among the storage methods followed by 1.79 % for grains stored in curing and storage sheds. Insect damage of 0.64 % for super bag and 0.27 % for silo stored maize grains were observed. Fungal damaged grain ranged from a low of 0.19 % for curing and storage shed to a high of 0.31 % for super bag stored maize grains. Overall storage losses (sum for five months) to insects and fungal diseases were in the range of 0.51-2.80 % with the highest being observed in traditional storage and the lowest in silo storage. All the storage methods evaluated maintained good quality maize grains with minimal damage till five months of storage. The existing improved storage technologies could help in the safe storage of maize grains if stored after proper drying. It is recommended to conduct a similar comparative study for the maize harvested and stored in the summer months and also at a different location to validate the results.

Chitosan-based nanoencapsulation of Toddalia asiatica (L.) Lam. essential oil to enhance antifungal and aflatoxin B1 inhibitory activities for safe storage of maize

The present study reports the enhanced antifungal, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) inhibitory activities and mode of action of chitosan-based nanoencapsulated Toddalia asiatica essential oil (neTAEO). Twenty-seven different chemical components were recognized from T. asiatica essential oil (TAEO) using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The caryophyllene oxide (CO) (25.4%), and 1,3-hexadiene, 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethyl- (HED) (24.08%) were documented as significant compounds. The Z-average particles diameter (Z-APD) of the neTAEO ranged between 18.41 and 131.8 nm. The neTAEO showed enhanced and most promising antifungal and AFB1 inhibitory activity than TAEO. In viable maize model assay, neTAEO effectively preserved the maize from fungal invade and AFB1 biosynthesis. The neTAEO significantly disturbs membrane integrities of Aspergillus flavus by inhibiting ergosterol biosynthesis followed by the extreme release of ions (Mg2+ and K+) and UV-absorbing (260 and 280 nm) cellular constituents. The in-silico molecular docking showed that the major active components of TAEO viz., CO and HED were active against AFB1 synthesizing leading genes Ver-1 and Omt-A with docking scores ranging from −4.8 to −7.7. The obtained results confirm that neTAEO showed promising antifungal and AFB1 inhibitory activities; hence, it could be used as an alternative green strategy to protect food grains from fungal invade and AFB1 production during storage.

Hermetic Bags for the Storage of Maize: Perspectives on Economics, Food Security and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Different Sub-Saharan African Countries

During storage, cereals and legumes are vulnerable to insects, rodents, and fungi, which can cause loss of weight, damage or discoloration of products, and/or toxin formation. Hermetic bags can prevent excessive insect infestation, and toxin formation. This paper presents an analysis of the effects of hermetic bags for the storage of maize on food loss reduction by insects and on net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, based on practical data from field trials. Their economic feasibility, by optimizing the total income in markets with different price seasonalities in different Sub-Saharan African countries, is analyzed. The data of five field trials were combined and put in classes of 50 days of increasing storage time to get a realistic loss of produce during storage using regular bags (with or without the use of pesticides) and hermetic bags. The maize for storage trials were used as is, bought locally or used direct from the field. Scenario studies with standard storage, standard storage combined with pesticides and hermetic bag storage show significant losses by insects after 100 storage days for standard and standard with pesticides storage, whereas with hermetic bags, product losses are kept to a minimum of 2%. The economic analysis shows less clear-cut outcomes: the interventions' effectiveness depends largely on the rate of seasonal price fluctuation of the commodity. For farmers' personal consumption, when the quality is less critical, the use of hermetic bags is only more economical compared with other methods of storage for produce kept over 100 days. Since the quality of maize is well-preserved by the hermetic bag, the return on the investment is shorter when the maize is sold at the market. However, for countries with a low seasonal price gap, the investment cannot be recouped. As the use of hermetic bags is a good intervention for preventing food loss, it is best promoted not only for providing direct profits to farmers but also for health benefits, as bag use implies a lower need for pesticides and a possible reduction in aflatoxin intake.

Development of Internet of Things Systems for Monitoring Agricultural Silos

Internet of things is a recent advancement in the technological world. Agriculture being the art and science of cultivating the soil, growing crops, and raising livestock for human consumption requires a day-to-day monitoring and observation of the farm produce. Internet of things enables farmers to obtain data surveys and monitor their farm and storage facilities in real-time. This research is addressing a logical study of the current and potential application of internet of things IoT in agricultural silos, where spatial data, highly varying physical environmental factors, task diversity and mobile devices pose a sole challenge to be overcome compared to other agricultural systems. In this research, a smart security and monitoring device is developed for Agricultural products (Maize) using the Internet of things to observe and preserve storage environment both physically and autonomously. Data is deposited in MySQL database and the communication with the sensed data and webserver is recognized with the help of Arduino. The research is supported by smart phone via android app which increases its flexibility. Monitoring and documenting of data can be achieved on the android app. The system is tested on standardized silo and the result was as expected. The result of the study established that there is a slight difference between the Temperature (17-31 oC) and Humidity (52-78%) obtained from the device and optimum Temperature (18-27 ºC) and Humidity (62-70%) required for maize storage which makes it a better method when compared with the conventional method of storing maize. The result obtained further shows that temperature, humidity, and moisture content contributed to losses in weight of the maize stored if not monitored and maintained during the research period.

Status of Techniques Used to Control Moulds in Maize Storage in Africa

In Benin, the preservation of maize is a real problem involving important physical and chemical properties losses. Physical losses are due by rodents, pests and insects and chemical losses are mainly due to fungal infection. Several methods, products and practices are used by farmers to overcome these problems. The methods used do not always control the losses caused by fungal infection. The objective of the study was to make a bibliographic synthesis of the impacts induced by the items, practices and methods used to overcome the chemical losses of maize. In the search for information, the library of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries was consulted; the archives of the library of the University of Abomey-Calavi and the National Institute of Agricultural Research of Benin were also consulted. Thus, chemicals such as sofagrain, Pyrimiphos-Methyl, Thiamethoxam, Pyrimiphos-Methyl, Permethrin, Deltamethrin, fumigant are used to control physical attacks on maize. Ash and plants species such as neem tree (Azadirachta indica) are generally used for the preservation and storage of maize seeds. In addition, chemicals such as arsenious anhydride and zinc phosphide are used for the preservation of corn. The use of these molecules and chemical products has negative impacts on human health and the environment. Of all the methods used, no treatment is still popularized for the reduction of the chemical losses caused by the fungal infection in corn storage.

Efficacy of Indigenous Knowledge and Selected Modified Storage Structures to Insect Pests of Maize during Home Storage: A Review

Maize (Zea mays L) is an important food crop in Ethiopia and is produced in a number of agro ecologies in the region. Despite the favorable environmental conditions for its production, maize is infected by several insect pests before and after harvest, due to poor pre- and post-harvest practices/handling. Farmers store the produce for two reasons; for home consumption and marketing. They may not accept improvements which incur costs when storing primarily for home consumption. Thus, this review will assess the use of indigenous knowledge and modified storage structures to store maize by controlling postharvest insect pests. The use of indigenous knowledge has been seen by many as an alternative way of promoting development in poor rural communities in many parts of the world. Most developing countries are in the tropics, often in areas of high rainfall and humidity. These conditions are ideal for the development of micro-organisms and insects which cause high levels of deterioration of crops in store. Food losses during storage are the result of biological, chemical or physical damage. In earlier times various indigenous items and methods were used for storage of household items including food items, clothing and bedding etc. The shelf life or storage span of items was increased using readily available and low cost items like mineral substances (ash, sand, table salt, camphor, and inert dust) and other different plant materials and they are the common methods adopted by majority of the rural farmers for storing the grains although majority of them are not aware of the reasons or qualities of these materials and are using them as age old wisdom. Modified storage structures such as hermetic storage, bamboo mat with mud plastering, jute bag with inner plastic lining, metal bins and others are another technique adopted by farmers for maize storage. So it can be concluded that many of the indigenous practices find credibility even in today’s period. Moreover, their user-friendly approach, local availability associated with scientific reasoning provides enjoyment and satisfaction to the users. It must therefore be encouraged to use only those eco-friendly practices that are known to be both safe and effective. These practices must be modified to make them more efficient for further transfer to the end users in the future.

Comparative effectiveness of turmeric (Curcuma longa), garlic (Allium sativum) and curry leaves (Ocimum africanum) against stored insect pest of Maize, (Sitophilus zeamais Motsch)

The bioactivity of turmeric, garlic and curry oil and powder were evaluated and compared against maize storage pest, Sitophilus zeamais (Motsch.) at 28+20C and relative humidity (r.h.) 65+5% in the laboratory. Ten pairs of newly emerged weevils were introduced separately into each of the plastics containing 20 g maize seed treated with plant oil at different concentrations, 0.25%, 0.50% and 1.00% v/v and similarly plant powder at dosage levels of 0.25 g, 0.50 g and 1.00 g of the tested plant parts. Each treatment, including the control comprised four replicates which were laid out 3×3 factorial arrangements in a completely randomized design. Results indicated that oil and powder of curry, and turmeric evoked significant mortality (82.50%) and (81.00%), while garlic powder is equally effective (72.00%) in achieving mortality of the weevil. There was an appreciable reduction in means of exit hole and percent seed damage in treated maize seeds at 0.50% and 1.00% concentrations. Curry had exit hole (12.25 &11.00), turmeric had (12.75&11.75); also lower seed damage was recorded in curry (11.00% & 21.75%), while turmeric had (20.75% &31.00%). There was however corresponding high percent undamaged seed recorded in curry (89.00% & 78.25%) and turmeric (79.25% & 73.25%). All the plant parts tested reduced weight loss in the stored maize seeds when compared with the control. Adult mortality significantly correlated with exit hole (r = 0.381), seed damage (r = 0.0509) and undamaged seed (r = -0.0643). Therefore, 0.50% was lowest concentration at which control was achieved.

Reduction of Fusarium proliferatum growth and fumonisin accumulation by ZnO nanoparticles both on a maize based medium and irradiated maize grains

This study evaluated the antifungal effect of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) on Fusarium proliferatum growth and fumonisin accumulation both on a maize-based medium (in vitro) and on irradiated maize grains (in situ). The ZnO-NPs were obtained by drop-by-drop synthesis without further thermal treatment and characterized by scanning electronic microscopy/ energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). SEM analysis showed them as thin flakes of 200 × 200 nm, ~30 nm thickness and its purity were confirmed by XRD. During the in vitro assay ZnO-NPs (0, 0.8; 4, 8 g L−1) were evaluated at 25 °C during 21 days under darkness or photoperiod incubation (12/12 h light (cold white and black fluorescent lamps)/darkness) to determine its possible photocatalytic influence. Fumonisins were detected by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC- MS/MS). All ZnO-NPs concentrations significantly affected growth rates and FB1 accumulation by F. proliferatum RCFP 5033 (p < 0.05). Similar reduction of growth and FB1 (%) was observed at 0.8 and 8 g L−1 ZnO-NPs under photoperiod or darkness incubation. FB1 reduction was observed after 14 and 21 days, although the highest reduction occurred after 14 days under photoperiod incubation (84–98%). No clear light enhancing effect on the antifungal and anti-mycotoxin capability of the ZnO-NPs was observed. Morphological alterations in mycelia and conidia were observed by SEM. Under the in situ assay, the effect of the ZnO-NPs (0, 0.4, 0.8, 2 g kg−1) on growth rates and fumonisin B1, B2 and B3 accumulation by two F. proliferatum strains was evaluated on irradiated maize grains adjusted to 0.995, 0.98 and 0.97 aW in darkness at 25 °C during 21 days. Also, zinc acetate at 0.8 g kg−1 was included to compare their antifungal effect against the same ZnO-NPs concentration. Growth rates decreased significantly as ZnO-NPs concentrations increased. Higher than 60% of growth reduction was observed for both F. proliferatum strains. Zinc acetate significantly reduced growth, although it was less efficient that the same ZnO-NPs concentration. ZnO-NPs reduced total fumonisins accumulation by 71–99% at 0.8–2 g kg−1 ZnO-NPs and 0.98–0.995 aW. Moreover, 0.4 g kg−1 ZnO-NPs also produced significant reduction of the 3 fumonisins. This study showed the application of ZnO-NPs in maize grains could be a low cost and environmental impact strategy to control phytopathogen and toxigenic fungi such as F. proliferatum and to reduce fumonisins accumulation, both during crop development at preharvest stage and during maize storage.

Soil water storage and maize (Zea mays L.) yield under straw return and tillage practices

AbstractIncorporating returned straw with tillage practices during the fallow period may be crucial for yield increase of dryland maize (Zea mays L.) by improving soil water storage. Field experiments were conducted over 3 yr (2016–2019) to investigate the effects of four treatments (CK, no‐till with crushed straw left on the ground; RT, rotary tillage with crushed straw mixed into the 0‐to‐20‐cm soil layer; DP, deep ploughing with crushed straw mixed into the 30‐to‐35‐cm soil layer; SM, no‐till with whole straw mulched on the surface) on soil water storage, yield and its components, and water use efficiency (WUE) of dryland maize in northern China. Compared with CK, the yield of RT, DP, and SM treatments increased by 2.3 to 68.3, 22.8 to 126.1% and 9.3 to 119.8%, respectively, during the 3 yr. The most significant increase was obtained in the drier year of 2019, though yields were lowest overall that year. The DP treatment had greater water storage in the upper soil layer (0–100 cm) in all 3 yr, followed by SM and RT. The average increment of precipitation use efficiency and WUE under RT, DP, and SM was 25.4, 58.6, and 48.6 and 20.7, 31.6, and 29.9%, respectively. The results indicated that numerically higher yield components and yields of dryland maize were observed upon DP and SM. Thus, these two practices (DP and SM) could be suitable field management choices to promote water storage and production of dryland maize in the northern China.

Evaluation of the impact of pre- and post-harvest maize handling practices on mycotoxin contamination on smallholder farms in Guatemala

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi includingAspergillus andFusarium that commonly contaminate crops, such as maize, resulting in economic losses and food insecurity. Mycotoxins can contaminate crops during pre- and post-harvest stages. Consumption of mycotoxin-contaminated foods has been linked to a variety of negative health outcomes including liver cancer, stunting, and neural tube defects. In countries such as Guatemala where maize constitutes a major portion of the diet, mycotoxins can be a significant contributor to disease burden. This review describes maize pre- and post-harvest practices in Guatemala that can lead to the development of mycotoxins and subsequent exposure to humans and animals, current information gaps, and opportunities for future research. There are specific challenges to minimising fungal growth and subsequent mycotoxin production during storage of maize in Guatemala, including reducing moisture content, minimising pest damage, and controlling temperature. Research on maize-handling practices that are associated with the greatest mycotoxin exposure in Guatemala is needed to prioritise allocation of resources and reduce exposure.

Evaluation of various maize storage techniques on total aflatoxins prevalence and nutrient preservation

Extended safe storage techniques enable farmers to keep surplus maize intact until the lean-season market. In this study, performances of various non-chemical grain storage techniques in preserving nutritional composition and preventing total aflatoxin (AFT) contamination of maize were investigated. The experiment involved six storage techniques; (1) filter cake powder admixed with maize and stored in a woven polypropylene bag, (2) Triplex dust admixed with maize and stored in a woven polypropylene bag, (3) metal silos, (4) Purdue Improved Crop Storage bag (PICS), (5) Super GrainPro bag, and (6) polypropylene bag as a control. A completely randomized design was employed with three replication of each storage technique. Data on moisture content, starch, protein, oil, grain damage, AFT, and Kernel Mold Infection (KMI) were determined. Oil, protein, and KMI of maize reduced at a rate from 8.0 to 30.2%, 5.8–12.0%, and 0–66.7%, respectively, using various techniques. Nutrient depletions of maize were significantly (P < 0.05) slowed down in storage techniques such as Super GrainPro bag, PICS bag, and filter-cake treatment. However, maize in the control and triplex treatment exhibited significantly higher nutritional losses. After 12 months, the AFT levels of maize in the control, triplex powder treatment, and metal silo were significantly higher P < 0.05 than that of maize at baseline. Super GrainPro bag, PICS bag, and the use of filter cake dust can be promoted for extended maize storage to prevent AFT build-up and nutrient depletion.

MORTALITY RATE OF SITOPHILUS ZEAMAIS IN LOW TEMPERATURE STORAGE

Maize is one of important comodities contributed as food consumption and other bioproducts to the world. As high demand of maize in global must be followed its avalaibility in markets. Decline the post-harvest losses along maize distribution will not only keep the avalaibility in markets, but also solve the food security. One of post-harvest losses causes is pest, especially in maize storage. The temperature treatment to control S.zeamais, a major insect found in maize storage, becomes potential action in order to reduces the post-harvest losses. The aim of this study was to investigate the S.zeamais mortality rate and physical changes of maize kernel under low temperature condition. The S.zeamais was cultured within 4 months before used for experiments. The 2 different low temperature conditions and 1 control treatment were used in this study. The results showed that the temperature of maize kernel was changed, indicated the movement of maize from room temperature to low temperature storage is occurred. Furthermore, the low temperature treatments, the maize moisture content was slightly changed compared to the control treatment. In addition, there is no chilling injury issue to maize kernel. However, the unknown mechanism of S.zeamais protection to the low temperature was found in the Low Temperature I treatment through the finding of hole grain. In the mortality rate, the highest mortality rate was found at Low Temperature II treatment (95.30 ±11.54%). These findings suggests that low temperature treatment could be the action for maize pest management, especially in the storage.

The Application of Pomegranate, Sugar Apple, and Eggplant Peel Extracts Suppresses Aspergillus flavus Growth and Aflatoxin B1 Biosynthesis Pathway

Even though the green revolution was a significant turning point in agriculture, it was also marked by the widespread use of chemical pesticides, which prompted severe concerns about their influence on human and environmental health. As a result, the demand for healthier and more environmentally friendly alternatives to control plant diseases and avoid food spoilage is intensifying. Among the proposed alternatives, food by-product extracts, especially from the most consumed fruits in Egypt, eggplant, sugar apple, and pomegranate peel wastes, were largely ignored. Hence, we chose them to evaluate their antifungal and antiaflatoxigenic activities against maize fungus, Aspergillus flavus. All the extracts exhibited multiple degrees of antifungal growth and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) inhibitory activities (35.52% to 91.18%) in broth media. Additionally, diethyl ether 50% eggplant, ethanol 75% sugar apple, and diethyl ether 25% pomegranate extracts exhibited the highest AFB1 inhibition, of 96.11%, 94.85%, and 78.83%, respectively, after one month of treated-maize storage. At the same time, Topsin fungicide demonstrated an AFB1 inhibition ratio of 72.95%. The relative transcriptional levels of three structural and two regulatory genes, aflD, aflP, aflQ, aflR, and aflS, were downregulated compared to the infected control. The phenolic content (116.88 mg GAEs/g DW) was highest in the 25% diethyl ether pomegranate peel extract, while the antioxidant activity was highest in the 75% ethanol sugar apple extract (94.02 µg/mL). The most abundant active compounds were found in the GC-MS analysis of the fruit peel extracts: α-kaurene, α-fenchene, p-allylphenol, octadecanoic acid, 3,5-dihydroxy phenol, hexestrol, xanthinin, and linoleic acid. Finally, the three fruit peel waste extracts could be a prospective source of friendly ecological compounds that act as environmentally safer and more protective alternatives to inhibit AFB1 production in maize storage.

Indigenous maize seed storage using buffalo dung ash practiced by smallholder farmers in Kisar Island

Kisar island is a small island located on the tip of Timor island. Corn is the main agricultural crop, and livestock husbandry also plays an important role in the livelihood of the farmers as a source of income, provide mainly manure for maintaining soil fertility. and in the local culture as a 'bride price' and for the exchange of goods. Considering periodical seasonal hazards, during eight months dry season people suffer from a serious shortage of water. Failure of the harvest is not an unusual phenomenon on the small, dry, eroded coral island. Seasonal pest invasion on maize cultivation threaten their seed security and food security. The objective of this review is to describe the validity of farmers’ indigenous knowledge (IK) of using buffalo dung as a preservative agent in maize storage and its relevancy in the contemporary living of farmers in the island. A phenomenological study was held in June to August 2018. The results showed that applying buffalo dung ash makes the maize dry faster, cleans and kills maize weevil and preserves the grain, It was concluded that the knowledge and practice is scientifically valid and benefited community in the past but has less relevancy to the contemporary living of the farmers in the island.