Storage of Grains

The food we eat provides our bodies with all the nutrients they need to grow, develop, and repair themselves in case of an injury. Plants and animals provide us with our food, which we obtain through agriculture and animal husbandry.

Overview of Grain Storage

Food supplies are in greater demand than ever, and this has increased crop yields, resulting in warehouse storage of food grains. Food security, however, is affected both by the availability of food and the access to it, making this measure insufficient to resolve problems like hunger and malnutrition. In the field, there are many insect pests, weeds, and diseases that can be encountered. Those pests and diseases can severely harm yields if they are left unchecked.

There can be a great deal of storage loss. Fungi, mites, bacteria, insects, rodents, and other biotic components contribute to losses. Temperature and storage techniques, among others, can cause storage losses owing to abiotic factors. Here are some examples:

• Food quality has deteriorated.

• Badly germinated seeds.

• The weight of crops has decreased.

• The crops are discolored.

These factors directly affect the marketing of the harvested produce, thereby leaving them unused and disfavoured, causing a great loss for the farmers all the way up until the distributors.

The warehouses can be monitored continuously and treated appropriately to control factors. To ensure grain storage is protected from all factors that may lead to its destruction, controls need to be put in place. To ensure grains are properly cleaned before storage, strict cleaning procedures should be followed. Additionally, grains should be checked to ensure that they have been dried in the sun and then in the shade completely. Fumigation is also necessary to try to prevent pests.

The Importance of Food Storage

Below are a few points that highlight why food needs to be stored:

• Food storage is cost-effective compared to the consequences that can arise from not doing so.

• In order to supply food to the ever-growing population of India, FCI purchases grains and stores them in warehouses.

• Ensures food remains fresh for a longer period of time. A variety of methods can be used to store different types of food. Food items such as meat, for example, should be stored in the refrigerator as their high moisture content means that they decay quickly.

• Proper storage ensures that produce is evenly distributed throughout the year.

• It is helpful in emergency situations such as famines.

Factors that Affect Grain Storage

During the storage of food grains, about ten percent of them get damaged or destroyed. There is a great deal of wasted food throughout the country, even if it seems less. Below we describe some of the factors that influence food storage. They are divided into biotic and abiotic factors.

• Biotic Factors

The term biotic component refers to living organisms that cause crop destruction. Common organisms that destroy grains include pests, weeds, insects, and rodents. Foodgrains are damaged by around 100 different insect species. Insects like rice moths, beetles, rice flour beetles, Indian meal moths, etc., commonly attack grains like wheat, barley, rice, millet, pulses, nuts, maize, and dry fruits.

A fungus that affects the quality of food is a major grain destroyer. In addition, some fungi and molds, such as Penicillium and Aspergillus, not only destroy crops but also turn them poisonous by releasing toxins that cannot be consumed by animals. These toxins cannot be removed by any purification process. Excretory and different wastes of these insects, if remain on the surface of the grain is considered to be very harmful.

• Abiotic Compounds

In addition to living organisms, there are also abiotic substances that affect grains. The crops are affected by factors such as air quality, humidity, and temperature. These factors may have a severe impact on grain storage if the quantity and quality are unbalanced.

Grain Storage and Temperature

Food loss during storage is greatly affected by warehouse and granary temperatures. High temperatures can cause the grains to sweat, fungus, and mold to form, making it poisonous. 

Maintaining temperature with aeration is possible. This natural airflow lowers the temperature in the storage space and prevents sweating. To protect stored food grains, it is important to maintain the temperature. In order to ensure that grains are stored in good condition and quantity, they must be cooled before storage.

The Role of Moisture in Grain Storage

Several factors influence the safety of stored grains, including moisture. Conditions like warmth and moisture are conducive to the growth of various biotic components such as molds, fungi, pests, insects, etc. Water damages grains by discoloring them and reducing their quality. In order to ensure grains are stored at the right moisture level, they should be inspected regularly. In addition to electronic moisture meters, there are now also a variety of electronic measuring devices available.

Damages During the Storage

If the grains are not stored properly,  or not taken care of, it will lead to various damages which will affect the progress of the farmer as well as the country. These damages can be direct or indirect.

• Direct Damages: These are the damages caused by pests,  insects, etc. They eat the grains from inside and make them hollow, thus reducing the weight of the grains, discoloration of grains, and foul smell. All of these are direct damages.

• Indirect Damage: This includes the damage that is inflicted by consuming infected grains. Such consumption can cause food poisoning and various worm infections in humans.