Search Results (15)

The phasing out of most chemicals has created a demand for alternative methods to preserve grain quality and market value. Hermetic storage offers a chemical-free solution for pest control by creating an airtight environment that naturally leads to insect death. Adding oxygen scavengers can further enhance hermetic storage by accelerating oxygen depletion. However, no study has examined scaling hand warmers in hermetic storage bags used by large grain handlers and farmers. We evaluated the effects of 1, 2, or 3 hand warmers in 25-kg PICS bags and 2, 4, or 6 hand warmers in 50-kg PICS bags on oxygen consumption and grain quality. We hypothesized that doubling the number of hand warmers used in 25-kg to 50-kg PICS bags would maintain the same rate of oxygen reduction. Oxygen levels decreased as the number of hand warmers increased. Additionally, oxygen concentrations in 25-kg PICS bags with 1, 2, or 3 hand warmers closely mirrored those of 2, 4, or 6 hand warmers in 50-kg PICS bags, respectively. Using 2 or 3 hand warmers in 25-kg PICS bags and 4 or 6 hand warmers in 50-kg PICS bags reduced oxygen concentrations below the 5% threshold for pest suppression within 12 h and maintained it for at least 8 days. While a slight rise in relative humidity was observed with more hand warmers, this did not negatively affect seed moisture content or germination rates. Doubling hand warmers along with the bag size from 25 to 50 kg produced similar oxygen depletion rates. These findings are helpful for large grain handlers and farmers who use 50-kg hermetic bags to store seeds or specialty crops to maintain quality. Hermetic bags combined with hand warmers promote sustainability by reducing chemical usage and minimizing food and nutrient losses. Full article

The cowpea is a vital crop for low-resource farmers in the Sahel, but post-harvest losses due to insect pests remain a major challenge. Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius, 1775), is the primary pest responsible for most of the damage to stored cowpeas. Recently, Trogoderma granarium (Everts, 1898) was found infesting cowpeas in large warehouses in Niger. This study evaluated hermetic storage bags to manage both common and emerging insect pests. Treatments included (i) the Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) hermetic bag; (ii) a woven polypropylene (PP) bag with a polyethylene (PE) liner and Phostoxin; and (iii) a woven PP bag without Phostoxin (control). Naturally infested cowpea grains were obtained from the Office des Produits Vivriers du Niger (OPVN) warehouse in Maradi, Niger. Infestation levels were assessed using 12 samples of 500 g each, randomly collected from each treatment at the start and end of the trial. Major pests identified were C. maculatus, T. granarium, and Tribolium sp., with initial populations of 0.83, 0.44, and 0.83 adults per 500 g of cowpea, respectively. After six months of storage, pest densities in the control increased significantly: 232-fold for C. maculatus, 7.4-fold for T. granarium, and 2.7-fold for Tribolium sp.; resulting in a 38.5% weight loss. In contrast, both the Phostoxin and the PICS hermetic bags effectively suppressed pest populations, preventing weight loss. This study confirms the efficacy of hermetic storage, such as the PICS bag, in protecting cowpeas from both common and emerging pests. Full article

Promoting smallholding farmers to use improved storage technology is pivotal to enhance the sustainable agri-food system. Studies suggest that hermetic storage technology reduces post-harvest storage losses, improves grain quality, and enhances food security. However, weak causal evidence is prevalent due to confounding and endogeneity issues in such studies. Hence, this study examines the impact of hermetic storage bags through a randomized encouragement design, using the instrumental variable (IV) approach, among 692 smallholding farmers in Nepal, where maize is one of the major food crops. Farmers were encouraged by offers of 100% and 50% subsidies on the price of up to three Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags. We found that an additional unit of the hermetic storage bag increased maize storage by 42.84 kg and reduced post-harvest storage losses by 10 kg (32.92% reduction) for the farmers encouraged with a 100% subsidy. It increased maize storage by 39.2 kg for the farmers encouraged with a 50% subsidy, with no significant effect on post-harvest storage losses in this group compared to the control group. Thus, it is essential to encourage farmers to adopt improved storage technologies to increase storage and reduce post-harvest losses. This can contribute to enhancing local food security. Full article

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.). Full article

Hermetic bag storage is a growing innovative technology that can effectively mitigate insect activity in stored grain and preserve quality without pesticides. This study aimed to estimate the environmental and economic impacts of hermetic storage bags as the basis for the sustainable adoption of the technology. This study demonstrated an approach to estimate the environmental impact of using hermetic bags and their superior economic benefits for storing maize at the 1-ton scale over three years. The life cycle assessment (LCA) of six commercially available hermetic bags (AgroZ^®, GrainPro, Storezo, ZeroFly^®, Elite, and PICS™) from cradle to grave was evaluated and compared using the Sustainable Minds LCA software. The gas barrier liners were analyzed for structure and polymer composition using confocal microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that bag manufacturing had the highest environmental impact contribution, with 84.6% to 90.8% of the total impacts (mPt). The carbon footprint contribution of the total service life delivered for one hermetic bag ranged from 1.1 to 1.7 kg CO_2eq. The economic benefits of using hermetic bags were calculated and compared with traditional storage bag methods for one smallholder farmer using ten (10) hermetic bags storing 100 kg/bag (1 ton) of maize. The results found that using hermetic bags exhibited the highest profit of 1130 USD when used for nine months over three years, while storage loss was maintained at less than 1%. Full article

Using low-quality maize, resulting from insect pests and fungal attack, for formulating feed reduces chicken performance. This study evaluated the effectiveness of hermetic storage bags to keep insect pest and mycotoxin levels in check in yellow maize. The study was conducted in storehouses at three poultry farms in Dormaa Ahenkro, Bono Region, Ghana. The experiment was set up in a Randomized Complete Block Design with ZeroFly® Hermetic (ZFH), Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS), and Polypropylene (PP) bags as treatments. In each treatment, twelve 50 kg samples of untreated maize were each put in 100 kg capacity bags. Two bags in each treatment were destructively sampled monthly for 6 months. The number of insects was significantly higher in the PP bag (161.00 ± 4.25), compared to the PICS and ZFH bags: 7.00 ± 0.29 and 4.50 ± 0.76, respectively. The PICS and ZFH bags had less insect damage and lower weight loss than the PP bags. Aflatoxin and fumonisin levels were below the recommended safe thresholds of 15 ppb and 4 ppm, respectively, in all the bags. With the exception of ash, proximate analyses were higher for all variables in the PICS and ZFH bags. The study showed that PICS and ZFH bags conserved maize quality better than the PP bag. Full article

Sesame is an important oil crop for the Ethiopian economy. However, the lack of adequate storage facilities results in significant losses of sesame seeds. This study was designed to compare the effects of storage conditions and the subsequent impact on sesame seed germination, mold growth, and mycotoxin accumulation over the storage period. The efficacy of two hermetic bags (1. Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags and 2. Super GrainPro (SGP) bags) was directly compared to sesame storage in polypropylene (PP bags) and Jute bags. Storage conditions (oxygen, carbon dioxide, temperature, moisture content and relative humidity) of samples were analyzed in the laboratory in three replicates. Results showed that the oxygen concentrations dropped to 6.9% (±0.02) in PICS bags and 8.7% (±0.06) in SGP bags at the end of 6 months of storage. In non-hermetic bags Jute and PP), oxygen levels were close to atmospheric levels at 2-, 4-, and 6-month storage periods. In non-hermetic bags throughout storage, the amount of seed infection by mold constantly increased, and seed germination decreased. Sesame seeds stored in hermetic bags had 89.7% (±0.58) to 88.3% (±2.89) germination rates versus 61.67% (±2.08) for non-hermetic storage bags over the 6-month seed storage period. All mycotoxin levels increased over the same storage period, whereas comparative levels were much lower in hermetic bags after six months. Sesame seeds stored in both hermetic bags had the lowest level of tested mycotoxins, and levels among the SGP and PICS bags were not significantly different from one another. This study provides strong evidence indicating that hermetic storage structures such as PICS and SGP significantly affect temperature, humidity, moisture content, CO₂ and oxygen levels resulting in the lowering of fungal growth and mycotoxin accumulation and effectively preserving stored sesame without relying on synthetic pesticides in Ethiopia. Full article

Hermetic bags are effective at curbing grain losses due to insect pests, but their use remains low due to unavailability among smallholder farmers. This study used primary data from actors within the Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) supply chain network, mostly the private sector, in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda, to understand the challenges and opportunities in improving the availability of hermetic bags in rural areas. It finds that supply-side distribution approaches played a critical role in improving PICS bag availability. Some of the supply-side constraints included poor inventory management, pricing, and limited access to capital. Inventory management can be improved through better forecasting using sales records and prediction of farmers’ harvests. Improved access to credit during peak season can improve the timely supply and reduce stockouts. Marketing inefficiency appears to be fueled by a high-profit margin at the distributor level. Using all available distribution channels in addition to ag-input dealers will enhance the availability of the bags in rural communities. Full article

Insect infestation during the storage of cowpea is a major challenge among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Farmers use various postharvest storage methods to deal with insect pests, including insecticides, which may result in health and environmental hazards. Four hundred (400) cowpea farmers were interviewed on their perceptions and preference of different storage methods in Northern Ghana. About 58% of farmers applied insecticides, 50% used ash, and 42% used hermetic triple-layer bags (Purdue Improved Crop Storage, PICS) to store cowpea. Most farmers (85.6%) preferred the PICS technology for its effectiveness (compared to insecticides, ash, and botanicals). Reasons for the non-use of PICS bags included unavailability (39.5%) and high price (11.7%). Farmers perceived that storing cowpea in PICS bags lowered pesticide-related health risks for both farmers and consumers. Thus, there is a need to improve the availability and affordability of PICS bags in Northern Ghana. Full article

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, p < 0.001) and insect population (r = −79.9, p < 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. Full article

Cowpea is a food security crop and a main source of income for farmers in Niger. However, postharvest storage remains a major challenge due to insect pest attacks. Since 2008, the Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags were disseminated in Niger to reduce storage losses. This study was conducted to assess the adoption of the PICS technology in the Dosso, Maradi, and Zinder regions of Niger. We interviewed 600 households selected from villages that did and did not benefit from PICS extension activities. A logit regression model was used to assess the decision of farmers to adopt the PICS technology. The overall adoption of the PICS bags among farmers was 48.4%. PICS adoption was 69.7% in Dosso, 41.3% in Zinder, and 31.2% in Maradi. Farmers who attended PICS training were 5 times more likely to adopt the technology than those who did not. Variables that affected the adoption of the PICS technology included the region, participation in PICS training, and information source. Beyond cowpea, PICS bags were used to store a variety of crops including Bambara nuts, hibiscus seeds, peanuts, millet, and sorghum. Storing 100 kg of cowpea in a PICS bag generated a cash flow of $70.38 per respondent and a net return of $21.50. Revenues generated from sales of cowpea stored in PICS bags were mostly used for health expenditures and to purchase agricultural inputs. Results of this study demonstrate that pest management technologies such as PICS bags can also contribute to improving the livelihood of family farms. Full article

The loss rates and financial profitability of maize storage and conservation technologies were assessed in the central and northern regions of the Republic of Benin. The experimentations were conducted specifically in the villages of Boukoumbé and Savalou and were randomly sampled. A total of four storage technologies were offered to 137 producers: the polypropylene bag, the Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage (PICS) bag, the metal silo, and the improved and closed earthen attic (with or without stock processing). The method by Pantenius was used to determine the loss rates, and the economic method of Gittinger was used to evaluate the profitability of technologies. The results showed that the technologies that recorded fewer losses in the two communes during storage were the PICS bag with grain treatment by chemical conservation measures in Savalou (9.42 ± 4.64%) and Boukoumbé (2.69 ± 0.77%), the PICS bag without grain treatment in Savalou (11.71 ± 2.78%), the metal silo with grain treatment in Boukoumbé (4.92 ± 1.36%) and the polypropylene bag with grain treatment in Savalou (10.56 ± 2.80%) and Boukoumbé (4.02 ± 1.23%). Therefore, the financial analysis results indicated that the most profitable storage technologies were the PICS bag with treatment in the center of Benin and the polypropylene bag without treatment in northern Benin. Full article

Several postharvest technologies are currently being commercialized to help smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa reduce grain storage losses. We carried out a study in Northern Benin to compare the effectiveness of five technologies being sold to protect stored grain. Maize that had been naturally infested by insects was stored in four hermetic storage technologies (SuperGrainbag™, AgroZ^® bag, EVAL™, and Purdue Improved Crop Storage-PICS™ bags), an insecticide impregnated bag (ZeroFly^®), and a regular polypropylene (PP) woven bag as control. Oxygen levels in hermetic bags fluctuated between 0.5 ± 0.0 (v/v) and 1.0 ± 0.3 (v/v) percent during the seven months of storage. No weight loss or insect damage was observed in grain stored in any of the hermetic storage bags after seven months. However, grain stored in ZeroFly^® and PP woven bags had weight losses of 6.3% and 10.3%, respectively. These results will help farmers and development agencies when making decisions to use and/or promote storage technologies to reduce postharvest grain losses. Full article

Farmers in developing nations encounter high postharvest losses mainly attributable to the lack of modern techniques for threshing, cleaning, grading, and grain storage. Mechanized handling of grain in developing countries is rare, although the technology is effective against insects and pest infestations. The objective was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of five grain handling techniques that have the ability to reduce postharvest losses from insect infestation. The five methods were metal silo plus all accessories (m. silo + acc.), metal silo only (m. silo), woven polypropylene plus phosphine (w. PP. + Phos.), woven polypropylene only (w. PP.), and Purdue Improved Crop Storage bags only (PICS). The functional unit used was handling 1 kg of maize grain. The cost analysis of each technique was calculated based on equations using a spreadsheet. The annual capital and operational costs of handling using m. silo + acc. or m. silo were very high, unlike the PICS, w. PP. + Phos., or w. PP. The annual capital and operational costs decreased as production scale increased. Food security (due to reduced insects and pest infestations) and financial prospects of farmers can improve when the grain is mechanically handled with m. silo + acc. or m. silo. Full article

Hermetic technologies are being promoted in Africa as safer and more effective methods of grain storage on smallholder farms. However, farmers and policy makers lack knowledge of their efficacy in controlling major stored grain pests. An on-station study was conducted to evaluate the triple layer Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) airtight bags against two major storage insect pests. Two sets each of PICS, jute and polypropylene bags were filled with 50 kg maize grain per bag. Each set was replicated four times. One set of PICS bags was each infested with 50 insects each of the larger grain borer P. truncatus and the maize weevil S. zeamais; while the other set was not. One set of jute and polypropylene woven bags was treated with a cocktail of 1.6% Pirimiphos methyl and 0.3% Permethrin, serving as positive controls; while the remaining sets with untreated maize grain formed negative controls. Gas analysis in the PICS bags followed the expected trend with oxygen levels falling sharply below 10% and carbon dioxide increasing to almost 10% after 12 weeks hence resulting in insect death. After 16 weeks, increase in oxygen levels may be attributed to perforation of the bags from outside by the P. truncatus. Results showed that PICS bags were significantly (P < 0.05) superior to treated and untreated controls of polypropylene and jute bags in suppressing insect development, maize grain damage and weight loss during storage. Weight loss in polypropylene and jute bags reached 40% and 41%, respectively, at 24 weeks after storage compared to PICS (2.4–2.9%). These results demonstrate that PICS bags can be used to store maize against P. truncatus and S. zeamais attack. Full article