ASSESSMENT OF STORABILITY OF TWO MAIZE CULTIVARS IN A HERMETIC TRIPLE LAYER BIODEGRADABLE BAG

Storage of maize is very important for food security, especially in developing countries; like Ghana. However, several abiotic and biotic factors cause considerable losses during its storage. Therefore, the work studied the effectiveness of hermetic triple layer biodegradable bags (HTLBB) and polypropylene interwoven bags (PIB) in reducing losses of stored maize. Experiments were conducted in a small holder farmer storage crib and in a laboratory. A factorial combination of HTLBB, PIB and maize cultivars, improved ‘Obatanpa’ and local ‘Denkye’ were used. The samples were stored for six months at an average temperature of 27°C and 58% RH. The moisture content, hidden infestation, weight loss, germination capacity and colour were assessed. A significant increase in the moisture content of both cultivars (12.4-15.4%) was found in HTLBB-stored samples probable due to airtight conditions and the respiratory activities of grains, while in PIB no significant differences were found (12.4-12.9%). Laboratory and field assessment of percentage germination and emergence was higher in ‘Obatanpa’ than in ‘Denkye’. However, HTLBB-stored samples, kept 90% of germination capacity while in PIB-stored, a maximum of 60%. Weight losses were also lower in HTLBB-stored ‘Obatanpa’ and ‘Denkye’ at 7.4 and 3.8% than PIB-stored at 15.1 and 9% respectively, attributable to varietal type and hidden infestation. Colour changes were observed in both storage bags which were related to possible increase in carotenoid content during storage. As main conclusion, HTLBB has the potential to protect stored maize better than PIB without any chemical treatment; provided its moisture content is very low.