Tools and techniques of postharvest processing of food grains and seeds

Abstract

Poor storage and lack of technical efficiency can result into 50-60% losses in cereal grains. In the past 30 years, most of the research investment has been made to increase the production of food crops, while only 5% research was directed toward reducing postharvest losses. Increased production of agricultural crops is necessary to ensure food security, but this will also exhaust the natural resources and is facing severe challenges of climate change and scarcity of land and water resources. Another approach is reduction of postharvest losses of cereal grains and seeds, which are mainly due to poor storage conditions as global annual food losses are amounting to 1.3 billion metric tons or enough food to feed 2 billion people. Postharvest losses reduce the quantity of agronomic crops as well as quality of seeds, which ultimately affects the economical and market value. Seed composition, moisture content, storage temperature, and relative humidity are related to seed longevity reduction during storage. However, recent studies have suggested high seed moisture content as the most important factor involved in seed deterioration, hastening insect, and fungal infestation. New technologies whicch contribute in overcoming these losses can help in enhancing seed shelf life and its quality. This chapter will provide a thorough understanding of postharvest losses in agronomic crops of developing countries and their reasons and status of storage losses and also provide new inventions for proper handling and storage of economically important seeds. It also gives detailed information about improved technology and its efficiency and various other technical inventions of effective storage especially on agronomic crops.