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Our previous study has shown that nitrogen plays an important role in dealing with significantly increased chalkiness caused by elevated temperature. However, the role of nitrogen metabolites has not been given sufficient attention, and its regulatory mechanism is not clear. This study investigated the effects of high temperature and nitrogen fertilizer on the synthesis of grain storage protein and further explored the quality mechanism under the actual scenario of field warming. Results showed that increased temperature and nitrogen fertilizer could affect the activities of nitrogen metabolism enzymes, namely, glutamate synthetase, glutamine synthetase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, and the expressions of storage protein synthesis factor genes, namely, GluA and GluB , and subfamily genes, namely, pro14, BiP1 , and PDIL1 , which co-induced the changes of storage protein synthesis in rice grains. Furthermore, the increased temperature changed the balance of grain storage substances which may lead to the significantly increased chalky rate (197.67%) and chalkiness (532.92%). Moreover, there was a significant negative correlation between prolamin content and chalkiness, indicating that nitrogen fertilizer might regulate the formation of chalkiness by affecting the synthesis of prolamin. Results suggested that nitrogen application could regulate the related core factors involved in nitrogen metabolism pathways, which, in turn, affects the changes in the storage protein components in the grain and further affects quality. Therefore, as a conventional cultivation measure, nitrogen application would have a certain value in future rice production in response to climate warming.

Our understanding and prevention of postharvest losses are critical if we are to feed a growing global population. Insect infestation-related losses of stored commodities are typically considered only in terms of quantitative, physical weight loss. Insect infestation affects the nutritional value and some nutritional components are impacted more severely than others. We infested maize and cowpea grain with commonly occurring stored product insect pests, and mapped infestation levels against nutritional composition over a 4-to-6 month storage period to analyse how insect infestation relates to different macro- and micro-nutrient contents. Insect infestation decreased the carbohydrate content of the stored grains, causing a relative increase in the proportion of protein and fibre in the remaining grain, and moisture content also increased. Sitophilus zeamais preferentially fed in the floury endosperm of maize, resulting in more carbohydrate loss relative to protein loss. Conversely, Prostephanus truncatus consumed the germ and endosperm, disproportionately reducing the fat, protein, iron and zinc grain contents. Nutrients are distributed more homogenously within cowpea than in maize grains, but Callosobruchus maculatus infestation increased the relative protein, fat, iron and zinc to carbohydrate ratios. This indicates how the nutrient content of insect-infested stored grain depends upon the grain type, the infesting insect, and the infestation level. Insect infestation therefore has consequences for human nutrition beyond those of grain weight loss. Using data collected on the changing nutritional composition of grain over time, with and without insect infestation, we modelled the associations between infestation and nutritional quality to predict estimated nutritional losses that could be associated with consumption of insect-infested stored maize and cowpea.

The major safety risk of maize grain is contamination with mycotoxins. In this study, a maize-coating formulation containing freeze-dried culture filtrate of Streptomyces philanthi RL-1-178 (DCF RL-1-178) was developed and evaluated to prevent the growth of mycotoxins during maize grain storage. In vitro studies using confrontation tests on PDA plates indicated that S. philanthi RL-1-178 inhibited the growth of Aspergillus parasiticus TISTR 3276 (89.0%) and A. flavus PSRDC-4 (95.0%). The maize grain coating formulations containing the DCF RL-1-178 (0, 5, 10, and 15% (v/v)) and the polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP-K90, 4.0% (w/v)) were tested for their efficacy in In vitro and during 5 months storage. In In vitro assay, maize coating formular containing the optimum concentration (15.0%, v/v) of the DCF RL-1-178 exhibited 54.80% and 54.17% inhibition on the growth of A. parasiticus TISTR 3276 and A. flavus PSRDC-4 respectively. The inhibition was also illustrated by the microstructures of interactions between the coated maize grains with or without the DCF RL-1-178 and the fungal pathogens observed under microscope and SEM. Incorporating the DCF RL-1-178 or fungicidal Metalaxyl® into the polymer PVP-K90 maize grains coating resulted in the complete inhibition of the production of aflatoxin B1 (analysed by HPLC) by the two aflatoxigenic pathogens after 5 months storage at room temperature. However, the shelf-life was shortened to only 3 months during storage at room temperature with 90% relative humidity. Overall, the application of the 10–15% DCF RL-1-178 into the maize grain coating formular provides a new alternative measure to control the mycotoxins during storage for at least 5 months. The In vitro cell cytotoxicity study showed that a concentration of 15% (v/v) or 1000 μg/mL of the DCF RL-1-178 had a strong cytotoxic effect on Vero cells. These findings indicate that DCF RL-1-178 is a potential biofungicide for controlling mycotoxins contamination in maize seed storage for planting, but not maize grain storage for animal feed.

In order to meet the great demand for green grain storage and low carbon emissions, paraffin, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and expanded graphite (EG) were used to produce shape-stabilized phase change material (SSPCM) plates, which were then used to reconstruct building walls for existing granaries. A new type of SSPCM plate was then prefabricated with different thermal conductivities and a high latent heat. This plate could be directly adhered to the existing granary walls. In order to evaluate the thermal regulation performance of these phase change granary walls, experiments and numerical methods were established, specifically for the summer condition. The thermal behavior of the SSPCM granary wall was compared with that of the common concrete granary wall to obtain the optimal parameters. It was concluded that increasing the thickness of the SSPCM layer can reduce the temperature rise of the wall. However, the maximum latent heat utilization rate and energy storage effects were obtained when the SSPCM thickness was at an intermediate level of 30 mm. The thermal conductivity of the SSPCM had a controversial effect on the thermal resistance and latent heat utilization behaviors of the SSPCM. Considering the temperature level and energy saving rate, a 30 mm thick SSPCM plate with a thermal conductivity of 0.2 W/m·K provided a superior performance. When compared to the common wall, the optimized energy-saving rate was greatly enhanced by 35.83% for the SSPCM granary wall with a thickness of 30 mm and a thermal conductivity of 0.2 W/m·K.

Despite having a wide variety of traditional grain storage structures that serve to store up to 70% of the total amount of grains produced, India loses more than 14 million tonnes of food grain in storage every year. In light of this, it is necessary to conduct a detailed mapping and analysis of these structures, focusing on their mode of operation, advantages, drawbacks, and ways to improve them. A narrative review approach was used to search, screen, and analyze the articles incorporated in this review. Several scientific databases, including Scopus and Google Scholar, were searched to find relevant articles. The study's findings indicate that these storage structures are comparatively inexpensive, eco-friendly, and easily accessible to farmers. Moreover, they have been created using traditional knowledge, values, and locally sourced materials, thereby promoting agricultural sustainability. However, most of them have limited storage capacity and are vulnerable to significant grain losses because they cannot provide complete protection against moisture, insects, rodents, fungus, and other harmful microorganisms. It is possible, however, to improve the storage capacity and efficiency of these structures by modifying them slightly using modern materials and scientific knowledge.

The conventional method of grain storage involving the use of polypropylene bags in conjunction with pesticides and hermetic bags are paramount in developing countries. However, there is limited information on grain quality and pesticide residue concentration of maize stored in such bags. This work determined grain quality and pesticide residue concentrations of maize stored in polypropylene and hermetic storage bags. Maize samples stored for a period of one year in polypropylene and hermetic bags were obtained from three major maize growing communities in the Ashanti region of Ghana and were analyzed for grain quality, aflatoxin content and pesticide residue concentration using standard methods. The amount of diseased, discolored, broken, insect-damaged, stained, germinated, shriveled, total defective, inorganic and organic matter of maize stored in hermetic bags was significantly lower than that of polypropylene. Levels of aflatoxin in maize stored in the polypropylene bags were significantly higher (13.9 ppb–20 ppb) than in maize stored in the hermetic bags (0.90 ppb–2.6 ppb). Out of 35 pesticides screened, only lambda-cyhalothrin was detected in polypropylene bags and deltamethrin in hermetic bags. The presence of these pesticide residues may be due to their long-lasting abilities. Levels of lambda-cyhalothrin residues were above the maximum residue limit (MRL) of 0.02 mg/kg, but have no significant effect on health. Deltamethrin residue concentrations in hermetically stored maize samples were below the MRL. In conclusion, maize grains stored in hermetic bags have higher grain quality and lower aflatoxin and pesticide residue concentrations than polypropylene bags. Education and promotion on the utilization of hermetic bags should be a priority in storing and supplying safe maize grains to consumers.

The scientific rationality of farmers’ grain storage technology and equipment is crucial for the biosecurity of grain in the main grain-producing areas represented by Northeast China. In this paper, four farmer grain storage mock silos of different widths were used as a means to track an experimental cycle of grain storage. The absolute water potential of corn in all four silos at the beginning of the experiment was greater than the absolute water potential of air, prompting moisture migration from the grain interior to the air and down to about 14%. Moisture was influenced by wind direction, and moisture decreased faster with better ventilation on both sides of the grain silos. Therefore, grain silo width has a significant effect on the drying effect under naturally ventilated conditions of maize ears. This research focused on the determination and assessment of mycotoxin contamination under farmers’ storage grain conditions and analyzed the effect of silo structure on the distribution of mycotoxin contamination. When the width was too large, areas of high mycotoxin infection existed in the middle of the grain silo, and ventilation and tipping could be used to reduce the risk of toxin production. This study proved that reasonable farmer grain storage techniques and devices in Northeast China can effectively protect grain from mycotoxin contamination.

Grain aging during storage leads to quality deterioration and significant economic losses. Traditional analytical approaches are often labor-intensive, slow, and inadequate for modern intelligent grain storage management. This review summarizes recent advances in the intelligent discrimination of grain aging using volatile organic compound (VOC) fingerprints combined with machine learning (ML) techniques. It first outlines the biochemical mechanisms underlying grain aging and identifies VOCs as early and sensitive biomarkers for timely determination. The review then examines VOC determination methodologies, with a focus on headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS), for constructing volatile fingerprinting profiles, and discusses related method standardization. A central theme is the application of ML algorithms, including Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA), Support Vector Machines (SVM), Random Forest (RF), and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN)) for feature extraction and pattern recognition in high-dimensional datasets, enabling effective discrimination of aging stages, spoilage types, and grain varieties. Despite these advances, key challenges remain, such as limited model generalizability, the lack of large-scale multi-source databases, and insufficient validation under real storage conditions. Finally, future directions are proposed that emphasize methodological standardization, algorithmic innovation, and system-level integration to support intelligent, non-destructive, real-time grain quality monitoring. This emerging framework provides a promising powerful pathway for enhancing global food security.

The RC underground silo, a novel grain storage structure, is a cylindrical shell surrounded by rock, soil, and groundwater. It leverages the low-temperature underground setting to preserve grain quality. However, the complex underground geotechnical environment may negatively affect the silo’s reliability, and limited information is available about the reliability of the reinforced concrete underground silo. The current research developed a structural system reliability analysis method based on LHS, the RSM, and EEVET, namely the LHS-RSM, for structural reliability analysis. Performance functions were established and controlled by concrete strength and component deformation on the components of the RC underground silos. The limit state function of the whole RC underground silo system was developed based on the EEVET. Combined with the PDS method in the FE program ANSYS 15.0, the random FE analysis of the RC underground silo based on the LHS-RSM was achieved, and the failure probabilities and corresponding reliability indices were evaluated for both individual components and the overall structural system. The research results show that when the silo is treated as a series system, its failure probability exceeds the values calculated for any single failure mode. Therefore, if only the component failure modes are considered, the reliability of RC underground silos will be overestimated, which proves the necessity of conducting a system reliability analysis on RC underground silos. Under the action of underground soil and groundwater, the calculated reliability index of the structural system of the RC underground silo is 3.40, indicating that the entire series structural system meets the requirements of current design codes. The reliability of this novel underground grain storage structure is satisfactory. The findings offer valuable insights for designing and constructing RC underground silos.

The rheological properties and end-use qualities of many foods are mainly determined by the types and levels of grain storage proteins (GSPs) in wheat. GSP levels are influenced by various factors, including tillage management, irrigation, and fertiliser application. However, the effects of irrigation and nitrogen on GSPs remain unclear. To address this knowledge gap, a stationary split–split block design experiment was carried out in low- and high-fertility (LF and HF) soil, with the main plots subjected to irrigation treatments (W0, no irrigation; W1, irrigation only during the jointing stage; W2, irrigation twice during both jointing and flowering stages), subplots subjected to nitrogen application treatments (N0, no nitrogen application; N180, 180 kg/ha; N240, 240 kg/ha; N300, 300 kg/ha), and cultivars tested in sub–sub plots (FDC5, the strong-gluten cultivar Fengdecun 5; BN207, the medium-gluten cultivar Bainong 207). The results showed that GSP levels and processing qualities were significantly influenced by nitrogen application (p < 0.01), N240 was the optimal nitrogen rate, and the influence of irrigation was dependent on soil fertility. Optimal GSP levels were obtained under W2 treatment at LF conditions, and the content was increased by 17% and 16% for FDC5 and BN207 compared with W0 under N240 treatment, respectively. While the optimal GSP levels were obtained under W1 treatments at HF conditions, and the content was increased by 3% and 21% for FDC5 and BN207 compared with W0 under N240 treatment, respectively. Irrigation and nitrogen application increased the glutenin content by increasing Bx7 and Dy10 levels in FDC5, and by increasing the accumulation of Ax1 and Dx5 in BN207. Gliadins were mainly increased by enhancing α/β-gliadin levels. Correlation analysis indicated that a higher soil nitrate (NO3-N) content increased nitrogen remobilisation in leaves. Path analysis showed that Dy10, Dx5, and γ-gliadin largely determined wet glutenin content (WGC), dough stability time (DST), dough water absorption rate (DWR), and sedimentation value (SV). Therefore, appropriate irrigation and nitrogen application can improve nitrogen remobilisation, GSP levels, and processing qualities, thereby improving wheat quality and production.