03-09-2015

CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE AND

MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE STORAGE
OF GRAINS

Dr. P. Srinivasa Rao

Department of Agricultural & Food Engineering
IIT Kharagpur

CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE AND MODIFIED

ATMOSPHERE STORAGE
Controlled atmosphere (CA) and modified atmosphere
(MA) storage is the storage of grain with the
composition of the intergranular air controlled in some
manner.
By changing the relative concentrations of oxygen (O2),
nitrogen (N2), and carbon dioxide (CO2), the quality of
the grain may be preserved for a longer time than
storage under ambient air concentrations.
Ambient or normal atmospheric air has an approximate
composition of 78% N2, 21% O2, 0.035% CO2, and
other gases.
Intergranular air composition affects grain deterioration
because insects, mites, and aerobic moulds require
oxygen to respire and carbon dioxide can be toxic.

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METHODS OF CONTROLLING ATMOSPHERE IN

STORAGE

(a) Airtight or hermetic storage The storage is

sealed and the living organisms in the storage
(grain, insects, and microorganisms) continue to
respire and use up the oxygen and produce
carbon dioxide.
The concentration of oxygen continues to
decrease and the carbon dioxide concentration
increases until the organisms cease to respire
because of the lack of oxygen.

METHODS OF CONTROLLING ATMOSPHERE IN

STORAGE

(b) Low oxygen storage Nitrogen, usually in

liquid form, is injected into the storage displacing
the oxygen with a higher concentration of
nitrogen.
Liquid nitrogen evaporates immediately to a gas
when it is released at atmospheric pressure and
temperature.

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METHODS OF CONTROLLING ATMOSPHERE IN

STORAGE

(c) High carbon dioxide storage Carbon dioxide,

either as liquid or in the solid form of dry ice, is
injected into the storage.
Carbon dioxide pushes out the oxygen and
nitrogen and reduces their concentrations.
Liquid carbon dioxide evaporates rapidly, but dry
ice may take several hours or days to sublimate as
heat is slowly transferred to the dry ice.

METHODS OF CONTROLLING ATMOSPHERE IN

STORAGE

(d) Combustion gases Clean exhaust gases from

an engine or burning flame can be injected into the
storage.
Exhaust gases may reduce concentrations of
oxygen and increase concentrations of carbon
dioxide.
Care must be taken that none of the combustion
gases leave a toxic or unpleasant residue on the
grain.

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BENEFICIAL EFFFECTS OF CONTROLLED

ATMOSPHERE IN STORAGE
Controlled atmosphere storage of dry grain is
used to control insects and to maintain the
viability of seeds for extended periods.
Because the effectiveness of airtight storage
depends on level infestation in the grain to
produce the modified atmosphere, it is not usually
considered a satisfactory method of insect control
in dry grain.
Airtight storage of damp grain will preserve
germination for a short period and prevent the
growth of spoilage moulds during longer term
storage.

BENEFICIAL EFFFECTS OF CONTROLLED

ATMOSPHERE IN STORAGE

Harvesting and storing grain in a damp

condition eliminates the usual step of adding
moisture before the grain is ground for animal
feed.
The major limitation of CA storage is the high
initial cost of gas-tight storage structures or the
cost of sealing existing structures.
Generating and transporting the gas also has a
cost.

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STORAGE OF DAMP GRAIN

Microorganisms
Damp grain (moisture content greater than 17%)
that is to be used for animal feed can be preserved
in airtight storages.
The injection of carbon dioxide or nitrogen is
unnecessary because moulds grow quickly on the
damp grain and consume the oxygen in the
storage.
If air is not leaking into the storage the grain does
not become mouldy with aerobic storage moulds.
Rather anaerobic fermentation, associated with an
increase in lactic acid bacteria and yeasts, occurs
similarly to the silage making process.

STORAGE OF DAMP GRAIN

Composition of the intergranular air
When a storage containing damp grain is sealed,
intergranular oxygen is consumed by the aerobic
organisms in the grain and carbon dioxide is
produced.
At 24% moisture content the oxygen
concentration can drop to near 0% in 2 or 3 days
while carbon dioxide continues to increase.
At 17% moisture content it may take 70 days for
the oxygen to drop to near 0%.

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STORAGE OF DAMP GRAIN

Temperature and moisture content during storage
The grain temperature will rise initially as the aerobic
moulds consume the oxygen.
Thereafter, if no oxygen enters the storage, only
anaerobic microorganisms are active and they
produce less heat than aerobic microorganisms.
The temperature then follows the ambient
temperature similar to dry grain.
Moisture migration may increase with increasing
initial moisture content.
This should not cause widespread spoilage because
of the low oxygen condition, but may cause some
bridging and caking of the wetter grain.

STORAGE OF DAMP GRAIN

Appearance, smell, and taste
The grain remains bright and free-flowing with no
visible mould.
Anaerobic fermentation at moisture contents above
16% produces a sour-sweet odour and a bitter
taste.
At high moisture contents or after a long storage
period this odour and taste carries into the bread
baked from wheat stored under these conditions.
Grain stored at moisture contents above 25%,
usually corn stored in steel silos, becomes dark,
soft, and has an odour similar to that of silage.

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STORAGE OF DAMP GRAIN

Chemical composition
The main chemical changes during airtight storage
of grain at 16 to 25% moisture content are an
increase in reducing sugars and a decrease in non
reducing sugars.
Airtight storage of wheat at moisture contents
below 25% does not increase acidity.
Above 25% moisture content fermentation
increases acidity, unless the storage temperature
is kept low.

STORAGE OF DAMP GRAIN

Dry matter losses
During airtight storage the loss in dry matter at
moisture contents below 18% is near 0%; at
moisture contents up to 25% the loss is less than
1% in 6 months; and at 35% the loss increases to
4%.

Viability
At moisture contents above 16% the viability of
grain in airtight storages is maintained for a few
weeks, the exact time depending on temperature
and moisture content.
Germination then usually drops sharply to near
0%.

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STORAGE OF DAMP GRAIN

Thus, grain to be used as seed or malting can be
stored damp in airtight storages for only a short time
(unless it is cooled) before the grain is used or dried.
If the same grain is stored in non-airtight storages its
germination begins to decrease immediately so airtight
storage is better than open storage for the grain.
The viability of wheat stored in airtight containers at
25C is maintained for about 7 weeks at 17% moisture
content and about 4 weeks for 21% moisture content.
The germination of grain in airtight storages tends to
stay high and then drop precipitously, while similar
grain in open containers tends to loose germination
slowly over a long storage time.

STORAGE OF DAMP GRAIN

Airtight storage under cooler temperatures will maintain
germination longer and the drop in germination will not be
as precipitous.
At moisture contents above 20%, however, the moisture in
the grain can freeze and kill the seed.
Baking quality
Bread-making qualities are usually not affected by airtight
storage of wheat at moisture contents up to 16%.
Loaf volume increases during airtight storage of 12 to 16%
moisture content wheat.
At higher moisture contents the wheat gluten and the
volume and texture of the baked bread is damaged and an
off taste is carried into the bread.
Bread making qualities of wheat at 22% moisture content
can be maintained for about 2 months in controlled
atmosphere storage.

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STORAGE OF DAMP GRAIN

Feeding value
The feeding value of grain stored at a high moisture
content in airtight silos is as good a feed as the same
grain dried and stored in non-airtight bins.
Feed efficiency and palatability may increase during
airtight storage, but this is uncertain.

Types of airtight storages

Two main types of airtight storages for damp grain are
hermetically-sealed steel silos and butyl rubber bags.
The inside surfaces of the steel silos are given a
vitreous-enamel finish (glass-lined) to resist the
corrosive action of silage acids.
To maintain the air pressure inside the silo equal to
the varying atmospheric pressure either a two-way
pressure-relief valve or a breather bag is installed.
The breather bag in the head-space allows air to move
in or out of the silo without entering into the stored
grain and thus, an oxygen-free atmosphere is
maintained in the grain.

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Types of airtight storages

Fig. Small pits in the ground, lined with plastic sheets can be used by subsistence
farmers to store grain under cool, nearly-airtight conditions in hot climates

DISINFESTATION OF GRAIN WITH

CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERES
Concentrations of gases and exposure times
The effectiveness of controlled atmospheres in
controlling insects is dependent on several abiotic
factors:
gaseous composition,
relative humidity,
temperature,
length of exposure,
total gas pressure; and
biotic factors: insect species, life stage, infestation
level, and insect distribution.
All these factors must be known to create an
environment that is lethal to all the insect pests in the
stored grain.

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Many combinations of conditions can be used to

control insects in stored grain (Table1).

* Rusty grain beetle ** Red flour beetle

DISINFESTATION OF GRAIN WITH

CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERES

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DISINFESTATION OF GRAIN WITH

CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERES

The lethal combinations for most stored-product insects at

grain temperatures greater than 20C can be summarized
as follows (Banks and Fields, 1995):
- oxygen concentration maintained below 1% for 20 days,
or
- carbon dioxide concentration maintained above 80% for
8.5 days, or
- carbon dioxide concentration maintained above 60% for
11 days, or
- carbon dioxide concentration maintained above 40% for
17 days, or
- carbon dioxide concentration declining from 70 to 35% for
15 days.

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