Abstract

The study evaluated the performance of polypropylene bag (PP), polyethylene drum (PD), polyethylene silo tank (PST), and super grain bag (SGB) on preserving maize quality. The trials were conducted on-station and on-farm. Insect density, grain damage, weight loss, and grain moisture content were determined monthly for six months for on-station trials. For on-farm, insect density and grain damage were assessed every two months for eight months, and the acceptability test of the grain was performed after the storage period. The initial insect density of the grain was 26 insects/kg (natural infestation), and the percentage of damaged grain was 1.6%. After six months, for grain stored in PP, the insect density increased by 31-fold, whereas damaged grain increased by 10-fold, resulting in a 31-fold increase in grain weight loss. In contrast, the insect density did not increase significantly in SGB, PD, and PST over six months of storage. Grain stored in SGB presented the highest acceptability, while grain stored in PP was considered unfit for human consumption. The on-farm trials confirmed the effectiveness of the SGB, PD and PST on minimizing insects’ multiplication and grain loss, making them suitable for reducing maize losses during long-term storage under smallholder farmers’ conditions.

Key words: Grain loss, hermetic storage, insect pests, on-farm, sensory evaluation.