Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Graduate Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2019 Controlling the deterioration of harvested grain/ seed to improve food security Bernard Darfour Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd Part of the Agriculture Commons, and the Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons Recommended Citation Darfour, Bernard, "Controlling the deterioration of harvested grain/seed to improve food security" (2019). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 16996. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/16996 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Controlling the deterioration of harvested grain/seed to improve food security by Bernard Darfour A dissertation submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major: Industrial and Agricultural Technology Program of Study Committee: Kurt A. Rosentrater, Major Professor Susana A. Goggi Carl J. Bern Thomas J. Brumm Joe P. Colletti The student author, whose presentation of the scholarship herein was approved by the program of study committee, is solely responsible for the content of this dissertation. The Graduate College will ensure this dissertation is globally accessible and will not permit alterations after a degree is conferred. Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2019 Copyright © Bernard Darfour, 2019. All rights reserved. ii DEDICATION I wholeheartedly dedicate this dissertation first to God Almighty. “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Second, to my dear wife Janet Ampofoa, and our lovely children Nana Yaa Osafo Darfour, Kwaku Acheampong Darfour, and Obeng Aseda Kwabena Darfour. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................... iii LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... viii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ xii NOMENCLATURE ........................................................................................................ xiv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............................................................................................. xvii ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................... xix CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW ................ 1 1.1. Agriculture and Food Security in Ghana ................................................................ 1 1.1.1. Food and Agriculture in Ghana ...................................................................... 1 1.1.2. Agricultural Sector Constraints ...................................................................... 2 1.1.4. Food Security Situation in Ghana .................................................................. 7 1.1.5. Strategic Plans to Reduce Food Insecurity in Ghana ..................................... 8 1.1.6. Ghana’s Food Security Achievements ........................................................... 9 1.2. Grain Cultivation and its Associated Problems: Overview of Ghana .................. 10 1.2.1. Grains Cultivated in Ghana .......................................................................... 10 1.2.2. Grain Losses in Ghana ................................................................................. 15 1.3. Maize in Ghana: An Overview of Cultivation to Processing ............................... 17 1.3.1. Areas of Cultivation ..................................................................................... 17 1.3.2. Consumption and Cost of Maize .................................................................. 18 1.3.3. Post-Harvest Handling and Losses ............................................................... 19 1.3.4. Post-Harvest Storage Methods ..................................................................... 20 1.3.5. Shelling and Cleaning of Grains .................................................................. 25 1.3.6. Transport of Grains ...................................................................................... 25 1.3.7. Grain Processing........................................................................................... 26 1.4. Deterioration of Stored Seed: A Review .............................................................. 27 1.4.1. Seed Quality, Vigor, and Viability ............................................................... 27 1.4.2. Abiotic Factors Resulting in Seed Deterioration .......................................... 27 1.4.3. Biotic Factors ............................................................................................... 28 1.4.4. Lipid Peroxidation (Biochemical) Deterioration of Stored Seeds................ 29 1.4.5. Resulting Effects of Seed Deterioration ....................................................... 30 1.5. The Use of Synthetic and Botanical Insecticides in the Treatment of Maize Grains in Ghana: A Review ......................................................................................... 31 1.5.1. Reasons for Maize Treatment after Harvesting ............................................ 31 1.5.2. The Various Techniques Used in Treating Maize Grains during Storage ... 32 1.5.3. Industrial Production of Chemicals Insecticides and Related Health and Environmental Issues ............................................................................................. 33 1.5.4 Industrial Production of Natural (Essential Oils) Insecticides and iv Related Health and Environmental Issues .............................................................. 35 1.5.5. Industrial Preparation of Powdered Botanical.............................................. 37 1.5.6. Comparing Hazards and Challenges of Using Synthetic and Botanical Treatments .............................................................................................................. 38 1.5.7. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) of Crop Agriculture and Grain Treatment .............................................................. 39 1.6. Deterioration of Stored Grain: A Review ............................................................. 42 1.6.1. Factors that Affect Grain Storage ................................................................. 42 1.6.2. Grain Respiration and Loss in Dry Matter ................................................... 43 1.6.3. Activities of Molds or Fungi, Insects, and Pests in Grain Deterioration...... 43 1.7. References ............................................................................................................ 44 Figures ......................................................................................................................... 63 Table ............................................................................................................................ 72 CHAPTER 2. RESEARCH PROBLEM, JUSTIFICATION, OBJECTIVES, AND HYPOTHESES ................................................................................................................. 73 2.1. Research Problem ................................................................................................. 73 2.2. Research Justification ........................................................................................... 73 2.3. Research Objectives ............................................................................................. 75 2.4. Research Hypotheses ............................................................................................ 76 2.5. Dissertation Outline .............................................................................................. 78 2.6. References ............................................................................................................ 79 CHAPTER 3. STORABILITY OF ORGANIC AND CONVENTIONAL SORGHUM GRAINS AT CONSTANT RELATIVE HUMIDITY, AND VARIED TEMPERATURES ........................................................................................................... 83 Abstract ........................................................................................................................ 83 3.1. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 84 3.2. Materials and Methods ......................................................................................... 86 3.2.1. Experimental design ..................................................................................... 86 3.2.2. Moisture content (MC) of grain ................................................................... 86 3.2.3. Hermetic storage studies .............................................................................. 86 3.2.4. Non-hermetic storage studies ....................................................................... 87 3.2.5. Data collection and analysis ......................................................................... 87 3.3. Results and Discussion ........................................................................................