Comparative evaluation of quality changes in stored wheat in hermetic silo bags and conventional methods
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Date
2014
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Publisher
CCSHAU
Abstract
A study was undertaken to observe the efficacy of hermetic bag in comparison with conventional grain storage structures i.e. steel bins and gunny bagstraditionally employed in India. Comparison was based on qualitative analysis of stored wheati.e. moisture content, thousand kernel weight, germination percentage, sedimentation value, protein content, gluten content, gluten index, mold count, insect infestation and pasting characteristics of all structures with respect of time.Top layers of hermetic bags and steel bins responded more to the ambient temperature and relative humidity. The temperature was maximum in the middle layers and lowest in bottom layers of all the structuresduring nine months.Relative humidity remained almost constant in hermetic bags, which defined the airtightness of the bags. The biological respiration of wheat increased the level of carbon dioxideupto 9.48%on consuming oxygen, which inhibited the proliferation of insects even though insets were manually inserted into two ofhermetic bags.Respiration of wheat and insect activity was more during warmer months of storage period which in resulted highest level of CO2in bagsand bins. Insect infestation was detected in steel bins and gunny bag piles on October 30th, 2013 and September 30th, 2013 respectively. The detected insect was lesser grain borer (Rhizopertha dominica). Germination percentage, sedimentation value, peak viscosity, trough viscosity, final viscosity, setbackviscosity and gluten index were found to be reduced with the advancement of storage time. Mold count and insect infestation was minimum in low moisture content hermetic bags due to modified atmosphere. Gelatinization temperature, breakdown viscosity and protein content of all structureswerethe same. An increase in the values of peak time, pasting temperature, trough viscosity, milling yield and gluten content was observed in all the structures. Moisture content of the hermetic bags became constant after three months. But in case of steel bins and gunny bag piles moisture content responded to thechange in ambient conditions. Thousand kernel weight variation of all structures responded with respect to change in moisture content of the grains. Hermetic bagscan be an attractive environment friendly solution for preventing storage losses in India. The fact that no chemical fumigants are required makes them environment friendly as well.
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Keywords
Grain storage, Hermetic bag, Steel bin, Gunny bag piles, Sensors, Interstitial environment