Effects of PICS bags on insect pests of sorghum during long-term storage in Burkina Faso

Abstract

The PICS bags, originally developed for cowpea storage, were evaluated for sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) preservation. Batches of 25 kg of sorghum grain were stored in 50 kg PICS or polypropylene (PP) bags under ambient conditions for 12 months and assessed for the presence of insect pests and their damage, seed viability and, oxygen and carbon dioxide variations. The grain was incubated for 35 days to assess whether any insects would emerge. After six months of storage, oxygen levels decreased in the PICS bags compared to polypropylene bags. After 12 months of storage, only two pests, Rhyzopertha dominica and Sitophilus zeamais were found in the PICS bags. However, in PP bags there were additional pests including Tribolium castaneum and Oryzeaphilus mercator and Xylocoris flavipes. Grain weight loss and damage caused by these insects in the PP bags were significantly higher compared to those stored in PICS bags. Germination rates of sorghum grains stored in PP bags decreased significantly while no changes were observed in grains stored in PICS bags when compared to the initial germination. After the incubation post storage period, there was a resurgence of R. dominica in sorghum grains from PICS bags but the population levels were significantly lower compared to polypropylene bags. PICS bags preserved the quality and viability of stored sorghum grains and protected it from key insect pests. The PICS technology is effective for long-term sorghum storage but the potential resurgence of insects in low-oxygen environment calls for further research.

Climate smart Dry Chain Technology for safe storage of quinoa seeds

“…Seed storage in anoxia have been proposed as an effective strategy to protect lettuce germplasm from deteriorative activities and viability losses 19 . Low oxygen and high carbon dioxide concentrations within the Hermetic PICS bags have proven to provide protection against storage insect pests and viability losses in sorghum 23 . Use of hermetic bags under anoxia may offer another opportunity to preserve seed quality.…”

Penyimpanan Biji Sorgum Belum Disosoh Dengan Kemasan Plastik Pada Beberapa Ekstrak Bahan Alami

“…Kondisi penyimpanan yang baik untuk biji sorgum hampir sama dengan komoditas serealia lainnya (Chandrashekar & Satyanarayana, 2006). Tujuan penyimpanan adalah mempertahankan kualitas biji dari kemungkinan faktor lingkungan yang dapat merusak biji sorgum, diantaranya serangan hama, berkecambah, dan peningkatan kadar air yang dapat memicu munculnya jamur (Waongo et al, 2019;Utono et al, 2014). Sorgum dapat disimpan dalam bentuk malai atau biji.…”

Effectiveness of Hermetic Storage Using PICS Bags and Plastic Jars for Post-Harvest Preservation of <i>Acacia macrostachya</i> Seeds

“…Indeed, several hermetic containers have been successfully tested for storing of leguminous seeds such as triple-bagging technology also named Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS)'s bags. This technology has already proven to be effective in storing several crops including cowpea, bambara groundnut, mung bean, pigeonpea and sorghum [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]. To date, in the rural areas, the conservation of seeds in hermetic containers is often done in plastic jars [16].…”