Post-harvest storage of seeds constitutes a major challenge for farmers in the rural areas of the Anantapuramu district as insect pests cause major losses during grain storage. Farmers use several storage technologies but most of them are not effective. During storage legumes and oil seeds are more vulnerable to insects which can cause discoloration, damage and/or weight loss of the product. Hermetic storage bags have been disseminated to prevent grain storage losses and excessive insect infestation. We carried out research in 5 villages with 5 farm families of the Anantapuramu district during 2018-19 to evaluate the performance of hermetic triple layer bags for the preservation of pulses (pigeon pea and greengram) groundnut for about four months. The assessed parameters were percent weight loss, percent grain damage and percent germination. The study revealed that the percent grain damage was 2.3 and the percent weight loss of stored greengram was found to be 1.13 after the completion of four months of storage. By using two different storing systems after four months revealed that grain damage and weight loss were31.61% and 13,50% respectively in pigeonpea, 13.73% and 7.91% respectively in greengram and 23.94% and 11.84% respectively in groundnut pods after completion of four months of storage in gunny bags. It is also evident that the germination capacity of seeds stored in gunny bags is also reduced when compared to seeds stored in hermetic bags. Our research findings suggest the advantages of using triple-layer bags over gunny bags and their suitability for small and marginal farmers in developing countries.

Triple layer hermetic bag, percent grain damage, percent weight loss, germination percent

Triple-layer hermetic bags work in an eco-friendly manner as it does not involve the use of insecticides for managing the infestation by providing a modified environment with depleted levels of oxygen level. Hermetic storage is a cost-effective, durable and sustainable technique to store seed material for small and marginal farmers for the next season. Further pigeonpea, greengram and groundnut stored in triple-layer bags were found better in weight loss, germination quality and minimum pest infestation than traditional storage structures like gunny bags.

Lahari K. and Sudha Rani K. (2022). Evaluation of Triple Layer Hermetic Bags for Safe Storage of Seeds by the Small Holding Farmers in Anantapuramu District of Andhra Pradesh. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 14(2): 1587-1590.