Integrated grain storage - technology transfer for organic farming

Summary

The attached document is the final report of the Defra Project OF0176.
Demand for organic grain continues to grow and currently in the UK much has to be imported to satisfy the market. Expansion of UK production, together with continued imports, will see an increase in the need for effective grain storage using organic methods to preserve the quality of this valuable commodity. The objectives of this project were to conduct a desk study review to:
1) Highlight the main grain storage problems experienced by organic growers in the UK.
2) Bring together in a more convenient form technical information already available that will enable growers to tackle these problems more successfully.
3) Identify areas of current storage technology requiring a minimum of modification to ensure a smooth transfer from the conventional to the organic sector.
4) Identify areas where appropriate organic alternatives to conventional storage procedures do not exist that will require further research and development to find replacements.
The following have been identified as areas requiring further research and development that are likely to provide important opportunities for improving the storage of organic grain:
• Store structure cleaning, including the effectiveness of vacuum cleaning and steam treatments, and the feasibility of using diatomaceous earths to control invertebrate pests.
• Energy efficient drying and cooling systems, and consider the use of renewable energy sources including solar and wind power or the processing of waste products and energy crops.
• More effective invertebrate pest monitoring through improvements in sampling strategies, together with enhanced trap design and the incorporation of lures.
• Disinfestation using grain cleaners and hot air driers.
• Biological control for store structure treatments. This will require work to assess the effectiveness of naturally occurring biological control agents to treat residual infestations hidden in empty grain store structures. Strategies will need to be developed to encourage the development and conservation of beneficial invertebrates in stores, including the possible use of natural semiochemicals to manipulate their behaviour.
• Biological control for surface infestations of grain. As well as looking at the practicality of using top-dressing or bait trap application techniques to control grain surface infestations in cooled bins, there is a need to develop effective methods for the removal of beneficial invertebrates from the grain immediately before it is marketed.
A more detailed Executive Summary can be found at the top of the main report.