1 Courtesy of: PU2044PV0310- 3C-Unabridged Version 200 Baker Avenue, Suite 309 Concord, MA 01742 Ph: 978-371-7118 Fax: 978-371-7411 pvillers@grainpro.com www.grainpro.com UNABRIDGED VERSION of paper presented at the 10 th International Working Conference on Stored Product Protection (IWCSPP), Estoril, Portugal, June 2010 New Applications of Hermetic Storage for Grain Storage and Transport P. Villers 1 *, S. Navarro 2 , T. de Bruin 1 1 President, GrainPro, Inc. 200 Baker Avenue, Suite 309, Concord, Massachusetts 01742, USA email: pvillers@grainpro.com • Tel: +1- 978-371-7118 • website: www.grainpro.com] 2 Senior Consultant, Food Technology International Consultancy Ltd., Beit Yehoshua 40501, Israel. 3 President, GrainPro Philippines Inc. Subic Bay Freeport Zone 2222, Philippines. Tel: +63-47-252-7884, tdb@grainpro.com Abstract Recent evolution of pesticide-free post harvest hermetic storage for dry commodities as now used in 81 countries for the storage of grain and other commodities is described. Results of studies on the protection of seeds, rice, maize, wheat, pulses, cocoa and coffee are presented. Flexible plastic structures have been developed and applied to long-term storage. A growing number of types of such hermetic containers now exist especially for tropical conditions. Types of hermetic containers include: 1) SuperGrainbags™, 60kg to 2-tonne flexible portable containers; 2) GrainSafe II™, bulk storage for household or farm use and daily withdrawal of grain of 1-tonne to 2 -tonne capacity; 3) Cocoons™, flexible enclosures of 5- to 1,050-tonne capacity designed for storage at the farmer-cooperative and small trader level or larger commercial and strategic storage facilities; 4) Hermetic Bunkers™ for long term storage in bulk of 10,000- to 20,000-tonnes; 5) TranSafeliners TM provide quality preservation, insect control, and prevention of condensation during shipment of bagged commodities in containers across intercontinental distances. Recent storage applications and the growing use of hermetic liners for intercontinental shipments of a variety of commodities are described. Key performance parameters for safe storage, prevention of mold growth and insect control for dry and moist commodities are discussed. Economic analyses are provided for representative applications, for a variety of commodities, including rice, maize and cocoa. Key words: Hermetic Storage, Hermetic Silo, Modified Atmosphere, Long Term Storage, Cocoon™, Quality Preservation, Insect Control, Flexible Storage Structures, Hermetic Bunkers™, SuperGrainbags™, TranSafeliners™. 1.0 Introduction First introduced in the late 1980s, hermetic storage (HS) can now replace older post harvest storage methods. It is used in more than 80 countries, primarily for grains such as rice, maize, wheat, pulses and high value commodities such as coffee and cocoa, as well as seeds of many types. Hermetic storage has become a replacement for older storage methods, particularly in hot, humid climates because of its “green”, chemical-free technology, control of moisture content, avoidance of pesticides and of need for refrigeration. It can achieve 100% “kill” of insects and control of molds and free fatty acids (FFAs). Hermetic storage features flexibility of installation (indoors or outdoors), portability, and attractive cost. The simple principle involved in hermetic storage is to control moisture and allow depletion of oxygen with increase in CO2 through respiration of both the commodity and insects. Typically at room temperature or above this creates an unbreathable, low oxygen atmosphere within a few days, and reduces storage losses to <1%. 2.0 Recent Developments and New Applications Commercial hermetic storage for agricultural commodities, also referred to as “hermetic silos” and “Volcani Cubes”, has been growing since the late 1980’s. Today, the chief applications are for flexible hermetic silos from 60kg to 10,000-tonne capacity to store high value crops such as seeds, cocoa and coffee, or high volume commodities including rice, maize, wheat and pulses. TM PU2044PV0310-3