| Summary: | An experiment was conducted to test a variety
of corn storage systems. In conducting the study
three types of deposits were used: A) Silo: a cylindrical container constructed with metal screen
which bottom was placed 50 centimeters above
ground surface. A metal protection was provided
around each column to avoid rodents entrance - B)
Granary: a container made out of bomboo and
placed on a wood structure 50 centimeters above
ground surface. As in system A), the same kind of
protection was provided against rodents. C) Conventional: the local farmer has been utilizing a room
for grain storage purposes, so comparisons with this
traditional method were made.
Corn was stored in various ways as follows: 220
kilograms of shelled corn (S), for the silo; 275
kilograms of cobs with husks (TCC), for one of the
two granaries tested; 350 kilograms of cobs without
husks for the other; 800 kilograms of cobs with
husks (T), for the conventional system.
Before storing the corn, all deposits, except the
conventional one, were properly cleaned and sprinkled with an insecticide to provide the same initial
conditions from an environmental point of view.
The corn to be stored was sprinkled in like manner,
keeping it from getting too wet.
In order to determine changes in the state of
conservation with time of storage, corn samples
were taken every week.
The following could be observed in system T: a.
The highest temperature troughout the experiment.
b. Spoiled corn and a decrease in the germination
percentage. c. Damage by rodents in amount which
was not possible to determine. System S showed the
best storage conditions as well as least percentage of
losses far as spoiled grains and decrease in germination percentage in concern. None of the treatments
showed growth of microorganisms.
|
|---|