Post-harvest grain storage: Methods, factors, and eco-friendly solutions

Agriculture contributes about 17-18 % of India's gross domestic product (GDP). However, infestations (pests including insects and rodents), microbial infections, and mycotoxin formation during the storage process result in a loss of about 10 % of total food grain production in India. This article explains various grain storage techniques, structures (short and long-term storage), traditional methods, and modern techniques' role in developing nations. Different grain storage issues, storage conditions, and physical, biological, and socio-economic factors have been explained. The toxic aflatoxins (AFs), which develop during grain storage and cause various health issues in livestock, are discussed. Advanced storage technologies for real-time monitoring of environmental parameters are summarized. The impact of chemical pesticide usage and the benefits of natural bio-pesticides in grain storage are presented. Natural plant species against major and minor insect pests are highlighted. A decision- making problem is implemented using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique from the available plants in order to identify and use them for effective grain storage. This article provides insights to explore natural resources in the integration of technological interventions i.e. nanotechnology for the sustainable storage of grains. Ultimately, this is expected to enhance food security and human health.