Evaluation of five storage technologies to preserve quality composition of maize in Nigerian markets

Maize needs to be stored using good and safe postharvest management measures that will maintain the quality as at harvest. Insects and moisture must be controlled in storage to ensure quality and methods to achieve this, such as the use of reduced-risk measures were evaluated in this study, conducted February–December 2016. The efficacy of Bularafa diatomaceous earth (DE), Piper guineense (Botanical), PICS bags, ZeroFly® bags and permethrin (Rambo™) in preserving maize quality in Nigerian markets was assessed. A sixth treatment comprised maize in untreated polypropylene bags. Study locations were in four markets in Ibadan, Ilorin and Oyo towns. Each market had a storehouse, which contained experimental 100-kg bags. In each storehouse, each technology had six bags, which were all sampled monthly except in PICS treatment where six bags were destructively sampled every four months. Data taken in February) and December) showed that quality of maize in PICS bags was best having the lowest percentage of insect damaged kernels, numerical based (%IDKNB), — 0.01 ± 0.01and 0.02 ± 0.01; %IDKWB— weight based were 0.00 ± 0.00 and 0.00 ± 0.00); % weight loss (0.01 ± 0.01; 0.01 ± 0.01), % number of discolored maize (0.02 ± 0.01; 0.01 ± 0.01) and % seed germination (96.77 ± 0.53; 98.37 ± 0.35) respectively. Treated and untreated maize had mean aflatoxin levels below limit of detection of 5 ppb in February and December (0.47 and 1.66), respectively and their proximate composition were within ranges reported in literature. By December, untreated maize had the highest %IDKNB (1.42 ± 0.22), %IDKWB (1.07 ± 0.18), % weight loss (0.36 ± 0.07) and lowest % seed germination (88.09 ± 0.98) when compared to the evaluated storage technologies Therefore, these five technologies can be incorporated in integrated management of storage insect pests in storehouses.