Evaluating bag storage technologies for physical characteristics, loss reduction and economic viability in pulses

Abstract

Meticulous selection of storage bags is vital to optimize grain preservation, mitigate losses, and improve rural income. A comprehensive comparative evaluation of four different commercial pulse storage bag technologies (Jute bag, Woven polypropylene bag (WPP), Purdue Improved crop storage bag (PICS), and Grainpro bag) was conducted alongside novel polypropylene reinforced Jute storage bag (PPRJ). The storage bags were examined for their physical properties (unit weight, coefficient of friction, breaking strength), water vapour transmission rate (WVTR), and effectiveness in preserving pulse (Bengal gram (Cicer arietinum, Var. Swetha ICCV -2)) quality and quantity during storage. Unit weight was highest for jute bags (0.14 ± 0.080 g/cm²), which reduced by 35.9 % after reinforcement with polypropylene, and lowest for Grainpro bags (0.03 ± 0.002 g/cm²). Jute bag exhibited the highest breaking strength (181.0 ± 1.06 kgf), which decreased by 23.7 % after reinforcement. Synthetic fiber bags had lower breaking strength and coefficient of friction, limiting their stacking ability. WVTR of the jute bag reduced by 39.2 % after reinforcement. The PICS bag offered the highest protection to stored Bengal gram. Weight loss was more than $25\%$ and $10\%$ of the initial grain weight in Jute and WPP, respectively, due to inefficient barrier properties, whereas the PPRJ bag was similarly effective as hermetic bags. The benefit-cost ratio ranged between 0.219 and 0.297 for the three profit-yielding bags (PICS, Grainpro, and PPRJ). Polypropylene-reinforced jute bags represent a promising advancement in sustainable grain storage practices. The significance of establishing hermetic conditions to suppress insect populations and safeguard grain quality was reaffirmed in the study.