Storage of Food Grains – Factors, Importance and Methods

Storage of Food Grains: Why is the storage of food grains required? Grain is an essential consumer item that is consumed in great quantities by humans. The output of various types of grains increased gradually as requirements increased and also as advanced production methods were used. Thus a large volume of grain was wasted owing to inadequate storage facilities. This article covers the importance of food grains storage, types of storing methods, and much more. To know more interesting traditional methods of storage of food grains, scroll down the article.

Factors Affecting the Loss of Grains During Storage

i. Moisture content – Even the greatest aeration equipment and monitoring management will not prevent the grain from rotting if the moisture level is too high; it will just postpone the inevitable. Molds, and other microorganisms, require moisture to exist and proliferate.

ii. Grain Temperature – The sun, the cooling impact of radiation from the store, outside air temperatures, heat created by the respiration of both the grain in the store and any insects present all influence the temperature within a store. Microorganisms flourish in temperatures ranging from 10 to 60 degrees Celsius, with a few exceptions.

iii. Grain damage or loss varies widely and is influenced by crop variety, pests and insects, climate, harvesting, processing, storage, handling, and marketing systems.

iv. Microorganisms (fungi, bacteria, and yeast/mold), insects and mites, rodents, birds, and metabolic processes are the major causes of grain degradation.

v. Post-harvest losses account for about 10% of total food grains due to unscientific storage, rodents, insects, microorganisms, etc. Annual storage losses in India are estimated to reach 14 million tonnes worth Rs. 7,000 crores, with insect pests accounting for approximately Rs. 1,300 crores.

vi. The most significant economic loss caused by storage insect pests is not necessarily due to consumption, but rather to contamination.

vii. Approximately 600 insect species have been linked to stored grain products. Almost a hundred insect pests of stored goods cause economic losses.

viii. Storage insects account for 2.0 to 4.2 percent of post-harvest losses, followed by rodents at 2.50 percent, birds at 0.85 percent, and moisture at 0.68 percent.

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Fig: Food Grains

Methods Involved in Storage of Food Grains

Various storage systems have been employed in the past to maintain the quality of stored food grains for long periods of time with minimal losses due to microbiological and insect-pest actions. Some of them are as follows:

Dry and Cool Storage

i. Pallets constructed of either wood laths or poles that are used to stack food grain bags.
ii. Pallets have been covered with plastic sheets to allow for proper air circulation throughout the stacks, as well as to preserve the moisture content and temperature of the food grains.

Airtight Storage

i. As insects and pests cannot thrive in a storage structure without oxygen, airtight storage systems are used to store food grains in the absence of oxygen.
ii. Containers with a tight-fitting lid (like a bamboo basket layered with clay, plastic, metals, etc.) or underground storage structures have been used to store the grains because the lack of air completely inhibits the growth of microorganisms, insects, and pests, extending the storage life of the food grains.

Fig: Airtight storage

Drying

i. Grains are dried to a low moisture content until they meet the moisture content requirements for safe storage (i.e., 0.70 aw).
ii. Drying aids in the creation of adverse circumstances for mold development and insect multiplication.

Debranning

i. Debranning is the process of removing the bran layers.
ii. This approach has been proven to increase flour yield and refinement while also allowing for the production of high-quality grains.
iii. The overall microbial contamination was decreased by up to 87% after debranning, indicating that grains are microbiologically purer.

Bulk (open) storage

Farm products are sometimes kept loosely in surface structures. For the following reasons, it is favoured over bag storage.
i. Foodgrain in large amounts may be stored.
ii. Grain loading and unloading are not difficult.
iii. There is no need to spend money on storage containers like gunnies.
iv. Insect incidence is lower than when bags are stored, and even this can be reduced by fumigation in place.
v. Ensures that no trash is generated as a result of leaking bags. Inspections that are simple to save time and money.

Fig: Bulk Storage

Bamboo Bins

i. These bins have different capacities and are composed of two bamboo walls with a polythene layer in between.
ii. These bins are ideal for storing items for a short period of time and may be used by small and marginal farms.

Fig: Bamboo Bins

Baked Clay Bin

i. A baked clay bin with a capacity of 7 quarts (paddy) is built up of 16 burnt rings joined together with mud plaster, cement mortar, and cow dung coatings applied one by one.
ii. The rings’ ends are shaped in such a way that they can fit together.
iii. These rings are stored on a polythene-covered and plastered brick masonry and cement sand mortar platform. The grain will be discharged through an exit.
iv. A mild steel lid is used to cover the top. These are especially beneficial for small and marginal farmers who do not keep their products for lengthy periods of time because of their low cost and high performance.

Mud House

i. This is a traditional grain storage building that has been used in rural areas of India and other parts of Southern Asia for a long time.
ii. It is a cost-effective storage structure that is classified as internal, temporary, and limited capacity.
iii. The walls of this construction are made of clay bricks and coated with cow dung, after which it is covered with a board made of wood or bamboo, and it is known in Tamil Nadu as “Mankattai.”

Metal Bins

i. Metal bins are used for grain storage outside the home and are built of steel or aluminum R.C.C (Reinforced Cement Concrete). These containers are resistant to fire and moisture.
ii. The bins are long-lasting and manufactured on a commercial basis.
iii. The weight capability varies between 1 and 10 tonnes. Silos are large steel, aluminum, or concrete containers. Steel and aluminum containers are typically circular in form.
iv. Silos have capacities ranging from 500 to 4000 tonnes. A silo is a storage facility for grains that may be loaded and unloaded.

Fig: Metal Bin

Pusa Bin

i. The pusa bin is a variation of the usual mud storage construction seen in villages.
ii. Polyethene film of 700-gauge thickness has been inserted at the top, bottom, and all sides of the mud bin to offer moisture-resistant and airtight conditions.
iii. Polyethene film is mechanically supported and protected throughout the embedding process.
iv. The structure is also rat resistant due to the use of burned bricks up to a height of 45 cm on the outside walls.
v. To prevent rat tunneling, the bin is built with unburned bricks on a burnt brick or concrete floor.
vi. With adequate measures, grain and seed may be safely stored in the bin for more than a year.

Coal-Tar Drum or Bin

i. India’s Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering has created a coal-tar grain storage structure.
ii. It belongs to the low-cost, small-storage-capacity, and long-lasting storage structures groups.

Challenges Faced During Different Methods of Storage of Grains

Some of the challenges faced during different methods of storage of grains are as follows:
I. The storage facilities on farms are typically inadequate, resulting in pest and insect damage.
II. The storage facilities are also insufficient for long-term grain storage.
III. After a lengthy period of storage, the grain may develop a fermented odor.
IV. The removal of the grain is time-consuming and potentially dangerous due to the buildup of carbon dioxide in the pit if it is not entirely full.
V. Some of the methods are time-consuming, while few are very expensive.
VI. If the amount of grains is huge, that also may cause problems.

Summary

Grains, which are essential among food products and must be kept for extended periods of time, have long been mankind’s savior in times of drought, famine, and conflict. We are at a time where, as the population grows, the need for food grows gradually, despite the fact that agricultural lands and production are confined to certain places. Various storage systems have been employed in the past to retain the quality of stored food grain for long periods of time with little microbiological and insect-pest losses.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Storage of Food Grains

Let’s look at some of the commonly asked questions about storage of food grains:

Q.1. What is the importance of the storage of food grains?
Ans: It is important as it increases the shelf-life of food grains and also prevents losses due to pests.

Q.2. How are harvested food grains stored?
Ans: Harvested grains are usually sun-dried before being stored because moisture promotes the growth of microorganisms. They are then placed in metal or earthenware containers, gunny sacks, or grain silos for storage. The godowns where grains are stored are first fumigated to get rid of pests.

Q.3. How long can grains be stored?
Ans: Depending on the cereals, they can be stored for up to 6 to 12 months.

Q.4. What are the major food grains?
Ans: Grains, such as corn, wheat, and rice, are some of the most popular food crops on the planet. In reality, these crops are frequently used to make dietary staples. A food staple is a food that constitutes the majority of a population’s diet.

Q.5. What is the scientific storage of food grains?
Ans: Scientific storage of food grains implies storing food grains in accordance with a scientific code of storage methods.

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