Context:
Introduction:
Food is our basic need. Human needs the energy to conduct their routine work, which is provided by the food we consumed. It’s our accountability to gain 100 percent output from our cultivation without any damage.
We need to be stored commercially cultivated crops produced in huge quantities for long-term use without any loss.
Approximately one-third part of produced food is lost globally every year during post-harvest operations.
Agents causing deterioration of stored grain:
Micro-organisms: Moulds, yeast, bacteria are biological agents which are present in the soil and transported through air and water. These microorganisms cause the nutritive value and organoleptic features like the taste, smell, aspect of grain. Impure, cracked, or broken grains foster the microorganisms.
They affect the germination properties of seeds (vigor and capacity to germinate ). Molds are responsible for the formation of dangerous poisons( mycotoxins).
These microorganisms are developed at temperatures between -8°C and +80°C with a relative humidity of air is over 65 percent. An atmosphere with low oxygen prevents the growth of these degradation agents.
Insects: Insects infest the products before harvest or in stored grain. Sometimes insect infestations can not be discerned as larvae developing inside the grain causes the damage. The insects that are responsible for infestations in stored products belong to families coleopteran ( damage by larvae and adult) and lepidopteran(damage by larvae).
The biological activities of insects like waste production, respiration, etc. affect the quality and commercial value of stored grains.
Insects are developed between temperatures +15°C and +35°C. Low humidity ceases their development and low oxygen rapidly kills them.
Rodents: The principal rodents which affect the stored products are :
Black rat ( Rattus rattus)
Brown rat ( Rattus norvegicus)
Mouse ( Mus musculus)
They cause serious damage to stored products, packaging, and storage buildings. Rodents invade and multiply in the storage place because of the abundance of food. Rodents cause quantitative loss and qualitative loss by excrement, secretions in stored products. These are the vectors of rabies and leptospirosis.
Steps to store grain :
Drying of grain: The crops should be stored at recommended moisture level which varies with types of grain to prevent the growth of microorganisms, the rot of crops, and germination in stored seeds. Access drying reduces the quality of grain.
Storing: To protect grains, they should store in closed containers. Closed containers keep stored grain moisture-free and protect from rodents and insects. On a small or medium scale, metal containers or jute bags are used for storing grains, and on a large scale, silos or granaries are preferred.
Insecticide treatment: Under the process of fumigation, granaries are filled with gaseous pesticides which suffocates the pests. Insecticide and pesticides are used to prevent rodents and insects from attacking stored grains. Dried neem leaves are used as a bio-friendly pesticide that does not affect the quality of grains.
Storage structures :
Traditional storage structures :
Mud and earthen structure: Take clay, straw, and cow dung in the ratio of 3:3:1, shape it and dry in sun then burn in the fire.
Capacity – 5 to 10 Q
Suitable for paddy, wheat, sorghum, oilseeds, and pulses.
Wooden structure: Made with local wood and painted black. 30 × 20 cm inlet is provided at the top and 30× 15 cm outlets are provided at the bottom.
Capacity – 10 Q
Suitable for paddy.
Brick structure: Rectangular structure is made as a part of the house with a wall thickness of 40-50 cm. The structure is made with brick in cement or lime mortar, 50× 50 cm inlet on top, and a 15×15 cm outlet at the bottom are provided.
Capacity – 25- 30 Q
Suitable for paddy, sorghum, and wheat.
Underground structure: Circular pits are made which vary from 100- 400 cm in-depth, 50- 100 cm diameter at neck, and 250- 300 cm at the bottom. There is an opening at the top for filling and emptying the pit. Before filling, the bottom is covered with straw and husk and after filling, the pit is covered with straw and stone and the top layer is made.
Capacity – 100-200 Q
Suitable for cereals.
Metal drums: The circular drum is made with a metal sheet that is 3 m in height and 2-4 m in diameter. The drum is covered on the top with plain G.I. sheets.
This is suitable for various types of grain and varies in capacity. 
Modern storage structures :
Warehouse
Silo
The controlled atmospheric storage system
Refrigeration
Cold storage
Evaporative coolant system
Hermetic and nitrogen storage system
Storage structure used by the farmers:
Aerial storage: Cobs of maize and panicles of sorghum or millet are tied in bundles and suspended from the tree branches or inside the house. This method does not provide protection from weather, insects, and rodents still used by the rural farmers.
Gunny bags: Gunny bags are made up of jute, hemp, or other natural fibers. The capacity of gunny bags is 35, 50, 75, and 100 kg. Gunny bags are filled with grain by farmers and stored at the corner of the house vertically. Heaps on flat: This is a temporary method of storage grain. Heaps of grain are made on the plain floor which is covered with tarpaulin. Heaps are covered with tarpaulin from above to protect grain from the air, birds, insects, etc. Farmers can store 100-1500 Q of grain by this method. Mud Kothi: This storage structure is common for rural farmers to store grains. The capacity of mud Kothi is about 1-5 tonnes. The structure is made up of a mixture of mud, straw, and dung. Mud Kothi is generally cylindrical.
Wooden /bamboo structure: The walls of the structure are surrounded by local wood or bamboo splits. This structure is generally made above the ground and the top of the structure is of cone shape which is made up of paddy straw or other thatching material.
#farmerseedstorage
Protection of seed by indigenous technical knowledge:
1: Mixture of dried leaf powder of tulsi, neem, and adathoda are used in pulse seeds to prevent the storage of pests. Used as organic pesticides, easy to adopt, and low in cost.
2: The storage containers in the houses are filled with red chilies and neem leaves at the bottom part to control the spoilage of pulses by insects.
3: The mixture of newspaper clippings and herbal leaves is used to prevent pests from storing paddy. Nochi leaves are also applied in stored paddy grain.
4: Neem oil is used in stored pulses to repeal stored product pests.
5: Garlic leaves are used for the safe storage of food grains.
6: Vitex negundo(Nirgundi) leaves are used to store pulse seeds for long period.
7: Milled chickpea, green gram, and other pulses are treated with mustard oil.
8: Seed mixed with Acorus calamus( baje) powder in a ratio of 10kg: 1kg to be stored seeds for a long time and prevent stored pests.
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