Chemical treatment of moist sorghum grains in relation to storage fungi.
Almeida Pinto, N. F. J. de
Revista Brasileira de Armazenamento. Volume 26, Number 1, 2001. Pages 55-59.
2001
บทคัดย่อ
Sorghum grains of the hybrid BR 304 were harvested with 18.3% moisture content and treated with acetic acid (15.0% solution), urea (3.5% solution), thiabendazole (53.2 g a. i./100 kg grains), iprodione (28.0 g a.i./100 kg grains) and mineral oil (0.8% p/v). After treatment, the grains were stored in 200 litres metal drums modified with wired screen on the bottom connected with aeration tubes (system with continuous aeration with environmental air) and in same size non modified metal drums (no aerated system). A completely randomized block experimental design was used with 12 treatments in 3 replicates. The efficacy of the products to control Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp were evaluated counting the visually mouldy grains at 3, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24 and 35 days after storage. Under the non aerated system until the 17th day of storage the grains showed little mould caused by Aspergillus spp., the main fungus detected. After that date the grains were mostly mouldy. However until the 24th day after storage the most efficient treatments were thiabendazole, iprodione and mineral oil, with 1.0, 3.0 and 3.0% of mouldy grains, respectively. Under the aeration system all the alternative treatments gave low levels of mouldy grains during all the storage periods, such that fungus development stayed below the 3% tolerance limit. It was observed that at 24 days after storage the grain moisture content was 14.3 and 17.6% in the aerated and non aerated system, respectively. The conclusion drown is that the fungicides benomyl and iprodione and mineral oil were efficient to protect high moisture sorghum grain against Aspergillus spp. and that the continuous aeration with atmosphere air preserves the quality of the sorghum grains through the control of Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp. activity.