Comparative performance of five hermetic bag brands during on-farm smallholder cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.Walp) storage |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Soil Science & Agricultural Engineering, University of Zimbabwe, Box MP 167, Harare, Zimbabwe;2. Institute of Food, Nutrition and Family Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Box MP 167 Harare, Zimbabwe;3. Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK;4. Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of Zimbabwe, Box MP 167, Harare, Zimbabwe;1. Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina - UDESC, Centro de Ciências Agroveterinárias, Departamento de agronomia, Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil;2. Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Centro Politécnico, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil;1. Assistant Scientist, Department of Processing and Food Engineering, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, India;2. Senior Scientist, Agro Produce Processing Division, ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, India;3. Head, Agro Produce Processing Division, ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, India;4. Former Director, ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, India;1. BioSciences Research Unit, EIC, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Eugenio Garza Sada Ave., Monterrey, NL, 64849, Mexico;2. Escuela Nacional de Trabajo Social, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, UNAM, Apdo. Postal 70-356, 04510, CDMX, Mexico;3. Bioimpulsora de Mexico, AgrinMex, Abasolo 110, Texcoco, CP 56100, Estado de Mexico, Mexico;1. Department of Agricultural Engineering, Institute of Agriculture, Visva-Bharati (A Central University), Sriniketan, 731236, West Bengal, India;2. ICAR-Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology, Ludhiana, 141004, Punjab, India;1. Campus Serra Talhada, Instituto Federal do Sertão Pernambucano, Serra Talhada, PE, Brazil;2. Unidade Acadêmica de Serra Talhada, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Serra Talhada, PE, Brazil;1. Soil Science & Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zimbabwe, Box MP 167, Harare, Zimbabwe;2. Natural Resources Institute (NRI), University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK |
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| Abstract: | Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) grain is an important source of protein for smallholder farmers in developing countries. However, cowpea grain is highly susceptible to bruchid attack, resulting in high quantitative and qualitative postharvest losses (PHLs). We evaluated the performance of five different hermetic bag brands for cowpea grain storage in two contrasting agro-ecological zones of Zimbabwe (Guruve and Mbire districts) for an 8-month storage period during the 2017/18 and 2018/19 storage seasons. The hermetic bag treatments evaluated included: GrainPro Super Grain bags (SGB) IVR?; PICS bags; AgroZ® Ordinary bags; AgroZ® Plus bags; ZeroFly® hermetic bags. These were compared to untreated grain in a polypropylene bag (negative control) and Actellic Gold Dust® (positive chemical control). All treatments were housed in farmers’ stores and were subjected to natural insect infestation. Hermetic bag treatments were significantly superior (p < 0.001) to non-hermetic storage in limiting grain damage, weight loss and insect population development during storage. However, rodent control is recommended, as rodent attack rendered some hermetic bags less effective. Actellic Gold Dust® was as effective as the hermetic bags. Callosobruchus rhodesianus (Pic.) populations increased within eight weeks of storage commencement, causing high damage and losses in both quality and quantity, with highest losses recorded in the untreated control. Cowpea grain stored in Mbire district sustained significantly higher insect population and damage than Guruve district which is ascribed to differences in environmental conditions. The parasitic wasp, Dinarmus basalis (Rondani) was suppressed by Actellic Gold Dust® and all hermetic treatments. All the hermetic bag brands tested are recommended for smallholder farmer use in reducing PHLs while enhancing environmental and worker safety, and food and nutrition security. |
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| Keywords: | Hermetic storage On-farm storage Synthetic pesticide Postharvest losses |
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