Calderon, M., Institute for Technology and Storage of Agricultural Products, Jaffa, Israel

Relevant data on the possibilities of changing the stored grain environment, for the sake of better preservation of grain in storage, are reviewed. The grain bulk is regarded as an ecosystem, in which the impact of damaging organisms can be controlled by ambient conditions. The influence of humidity, temperature, composition of atmospheric gases, atmospheric pressure and light is discussed. Lowering humidity and grain temperatures are well known effective and practical ways for the prevention of storage damage. The modification of atmospheric gas compositions has been subjected to very extensive research, on which new methods for insect control could be based. Lowering the absolute pressure in storage containers has detrimental effects on storage insects; the practical implementation of this technique is discussed. Research on the effects of changing light conditions on stored grain insects is in its earliest stage, but shows promise. Studies on an integrated approach using several environmental elements for the containment of grain insects and microflora are proposed. Copyright © 1975, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved