Purdue Improved Crop Storage bags
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Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags (formerly Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage bags) provide a simple, low-cost method of reducing post-harvest
cowpea The cowpea (''Vigna unguiculata'') is an annual herbaceous legume from the genus ''Vigna''. Its tolerance for sandy soil and low rainfall have made it an important crop in the semiarid regions across Africa and Asia. It requires very few input ...
(''
Vigna unguiculata The cowpea (''Vigna unguiculata'') is an annual herbaceous legume from the genus ''Vigna''. Its tolerance for sandy soil and low rainfall have made it an important crop in the semiarid regions across Africa and Asia. It requires very few inputs, ...
'') losses due to bruchid infestations in west and central Africa. Bags have been demonstrated to be effective for several other crops. A PICS bag consists of two layers of
polyethylene Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE; IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most commonly produced plastic. It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging ( plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including bo ...
liners and a third layer made from woven polypropylene. When each layer is tied and closed separately, it creates a
hermetically sealed A hermetic seal is any type of sealing that makes a given object airtight (preventing the passage of air, oxygen, or other gases). The term originally applied to airtight glass containers, but as technology advanced it applied to a larger categor ...
environment for storing harvested grain. This oxygen-deprived environment proves fatal for '' Bruchidius atrolineatus''Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage - Technician Training Manual. Rep. Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage Project, 2008. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. and ''
Callosobruchus maculatus ''Callosobruchus maculatus'' is a species of beetles known commonly as the cowpea weevil or cowpea seed beetle.Tran, B. M. D. and P. F. Credland. (1995)Consequences of inbreeding for the cowpea seed beetle, ''Callosobruchus maculatus'' (F.) (Cole ...
'' and other postharvest insects.


The problem

Insect pests pose a significant threat to the shelf-life of stored grain. Species like ''Bruchidius atrolineatus'' and ''Callosobruchus maculatus'',Baoua, I. B., V. Margam, L. Amadou, and L. L. Murdock. "Performance of Triple Bagging Hermetic Technology for Postharvest Storage of Cowpea Grain in Niger." Journal of Stored Products Research 51 (2012): 81-85. 31 July 2012. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. (commonly known as cowpea
weevils Weevils are beetles belonging to the superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small, less than in length, and herbivorous. Approximately 97,000 species of weevils are known. They belong to several families, ...
, or bruchids) carry out their life cycle within grain, and their presence makes the crop unfit for human or animal consumption. These insects reproduce rapidly, thus only a few of the insects within a collection of cowpeas can cause significant damage within a month."Hermetic Bags save African Crop, but Not How Experts Once Thought." University News Service. Purdue University, 21 Feb. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. Cowpea is an extremely important crop to
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
and
Central Africa Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, ...
n countries.Coulibaly, J., S. D’Alessandro, T. Nouhoheflin, C. Aitchedji, M. Damisa, D. Baributsa, and J. Lowenberg-DeBoer. Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage (PICS) Supply Chain Study. Working paper. 4th ed. Vol. 12. West Lafayette: Purdue University, 2012. Print. Not only are cowpeas highly nutritious for humans, but they are also a source of
fodder Fodder (), also called provender (), is any agriculture, agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, domestic rabbit, rabbits, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. "Fodder" refers particularly to food g ...
for animals, and are regularly used by rural women to generate their own income, thus providing an important source of
liquidity Liquidity is a concept in economics involving the convertibility of assets and obligations. It can include: * Market liquidity, the ease with which an asset can be sold * Accounting liquidity, the ability to meet cash obligations when due * Liqui ...
for farmers.


History

In 1987, Professor Larry Murdock of
Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...
, in partnership with Bean/Cowpea CRSP,
USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...
, and BIFAD, led a team of researchers working to combat bruchid infestations of cowpea harvests in Cameroon. The outcome of this initiative were PICS bags. Since 2007, more than 1.75 million PICS bags have been sold in West and Central Africa and demonstrations of their effectiveness have been conducted in 31,000 villages. Currently, this project is funded with $11.4 million (USD) by the
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), a merging of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was ...
."Project Overview." Purdue Improved Crop Storage. Purdue University, 2010. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.


Project objectives

The PICS project has evolved since its original conception. As such, the project's target objectives have also evolved to meet the needs of its mission of delivering safe, cheap, and effective postharvest storage solutions to smallholder farmers.


PICS 1

The specific objectives of this project involve determining the optimal design for a triple-layer, hermetically sealed, commercially available cowpea storage bag. Another goal is to increase the knowledge of farmers and rural-development groups on non-chemical cowpea storage methods, and to demonstrate the most effective cowpea storage methods for these groups. It is also important to the project to develop a local supply chain for PICS bags that makes the technology available to rural farmers, as well as providing development opportunities for local businesses.


PICS 2

The second phase sought to expand the original scope of the PICS program. In this second phase, called PICS 2, the program sought to 1) identify agricultural commodities or other food products that suffer losses to insects during storage, 2) test the PICS bags through collaborative projects with scientists in developing nations, primarily sub-Saharan Africa, 3) Implement economic analyses to estimate the potential benefits if the PICS technology were optimized and adopted for a specific commodity, 4) Develop plans to disseminate the technologies for those commodities and communities where it would be most effective and provide the greatest benefit. This phase of the program ran from January 1, 2014 until Jun 30, 2014.


PICS 3

The third phase of the program began in April 2014 and is currently ongoing. PICS 3 seeks to improve market access, cash incomes, and food security among smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa by reducing post-harvest storage losses through expansion of the PICS bag technology.


Geography

This project was first developed in
Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
, but it has since spread to twenty-three nations in Africa and Asia. To date, PICS bags have been introduced and are in use in the following nations: Afghanistan,
Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...
,
Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the ...
, Burundi, Cameroon,
Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...
, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia,
Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
, India, Kenya, Malawi,
Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...
, Mozambique,
Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesNigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
, Rwanda,
Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
, Tanzania,
Togo Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...
, Uganda, and Zambia.


Use

After harvesting and thoroughly drying the grain, farmers place grain into a polyethylene bag capable of holding either 50 kg or 100 kg. The bag is then tightly sealed, preventing air from entering. The first polyethylene bag is surrounded by a second identical bag, which is also sealed, making it airtight. The double-bagged grain is then sealed inside a third woven polypropylene bag, which provides the mechanical strength for PICS bags. This method of triple bagging creates an airtight environment, and seals any insects present in the crop inside the bag. These insects briefly continue to consume oxygen, but as oxygen levels in the bags drop, and CO2 concentrations rise, the insects stop feeding and quickly die, thereby protecting the crop from further damage. Recent studies have shown that bruchids sealed in PICS bags do not die from
asphyxiation Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body which arises from abnormal breathing. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects primarily the tissues and organs. There are many circumstances that can i ...
, but rather from thirst. This subfamily of Chrysomelidae has the ability to produce water through their own
metabolism Metabolism (, from el, μεταβολή ''metabolē'', "change") is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms. The three main functions of metabolism are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run cell ...
. This process requires oxygen, so when oxygen levels in PICS bags decrease the bruchids lose the ability to produce water and die of
dehydration In physiology, dehydration is a lack of total body water, with an accompanying disruption of metabolic processes. It occurs when free water loss exceeds free water intake, usually due to exercise, disease, or high environmental temperature. Mil ...
. It is reasonable to assume that this same adaptation exists in other postharvest insects.


Advantages

PICS bags provide many benefits to
smallholder A smallholding or smallholder is a small farm operating under a small-scale agriculture model. Definitions vary widely for what constitutes a smallholder or small-scale farm, including factors such as size, food production technique or technology ...
farmers. Not only is this an effective insecticide-free, low-cost method of storing cowpeas and other grain, but it is easy to explain to farmers, and PICS bags can be stored in family homes– making this an effective way for smallholder farmers to protect their harvests. In addition, the bags can be opened at any time – when they are unsealed the cowpeas are ready to be consumed. The PICS bags can then be reused, provided they are free of holes and tears.Baributsa, D., I. Baoua, J. Lowenberg-DeBoer, T. Abdoulaye, and L. L. Murdock
Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage (PICS) Technology
Rep. 262nd ed. Vol. E. West Lafayette: Purdue University, 2013. Department of Entomology. Oct. 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
Studies have demonstrated that PICS can be used multiple times across several years without any loss in quality. Storing grain until it reaches a high market value allows farmers to gain greater profits, and storage provides communities with food reserves during the post-harvest season. Even after several months of storage in PICS bags, the quality of the grain does not decline.


Economic development

The PICS project aims to increase the incomes of smallholder producers. Each household that adopts the use of PICS bags is expected to save $150 (
USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
) annually. With widespread adoption of PICS bags, global savings of cowpea harvests are predicted to be worth half a billion US dollars annually. The additional income provided through the use of PICS bags will allow smallholder producers to invest in their own farming practices and local communities, thereby encouraging local development.


Disadvantages

Some problems with this technology are that PICS bags are prone to theft, and therefore need to be protected. In areas where grain has always been sold immediately after harvest, storage areas may not exist for PICS bags. Therefore, the bags' introduction to some communities may also require the construction of new storage facilities. In addition, it is essential that grain intended to be stored in PICS bags be thoroughly dried prior to storage in order to prevent mould growth and grain rot.Baributsa, D., I. Baoua, and L. Murdock. Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) Bag: Size Matters! Rep. no. E-263-W. Purdue University Extension, Oct. 2013. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. And while PICS bags protect cowpeas against damage caused by insects, they do not provide a barrier against
mice A mouse ( : mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...
,
rat Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include ''Neotoma'' ( pack rats), ''Bandicota'' (bandicoot ...
s, or other animals. Finally, the environmental impact of PICS bags remains largely unstudied, and should be seriously considered.


Practical information

In order to increase the effectiveness of PICS bag technology, the following suggestions should be considered: As studies show, PICS bags work not only by depriving bruchids of oxygen, but also by dehydrating their environment. Therefore, this technology could be improved by finding additional methods of quickly lowering the
moisture content Water content or moisture content is the quantity of water contained in a material, such as soil (called soil moisture), rock, ceramics, crops, or wood. Water content is used in a wide range of scientific and technical areas, and is expressed as a ...
within sealed bags. Since PICS bags do not provide protection from mice, rats, or other animals, any NGO aiming to increase their use should ensure that farmers are taught to keep their stored cowpea harvest in an environment free of these exterior threats. There is potential for PICS bags to be improved through the use of an additional barrier that cannot be punctured by animals. Due to low levels of local
literacy Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, huma ...
, this project aims to communicate PICS bag technology to communities through verbal demonstrations and also through information communicated via
radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
. In order to ensure full community participation in effective cowpea storage, women, men, and children must all participate in PICS bag demonstrations. Solutions competing with PICS bags to prevent insect-induced post-harvest grain losses are other forms of hermetically sealed containers, such as the GrainPro bag. A similar method of protecting the crop is to store grain inside sealed steel drums. Furthermore, the same basic principles of disabling insects within hermetically stored containers could potentially be applied to other crops in the region.


References

*Baoua, I. B., V. Margam, L. Amadou, and L. L. Murdock. "Performance of Triple Bagging Hermetic Technology for Postharvest Storage of Cowpea Grain in Niger." Journal of Stored Products Research 51 (2012): 81-85. 31 July 2012. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. *Baributsa, D., I. Baoua, J. Lowenberg-DeBoer, T. Abdoulaye, and L. L. Murdock. Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage (PICS) Technology. Rep. 262nd ed. Vol. E. West Lafayette: Purdue University, 2013. Department of Entomology. Oct. 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. *Coulibaly, J., S. D’Alessandro, T. Nouhoheflin, C. Aitchedji, M. Damisa, D. Baributsa, and J. Lowenberg-DeBoer. Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage (PICS) Supply Chain Study. Working paper. 4th ed. Vol. 12. West Lafayette: Purdue University, 2012. Print. *"Hermetic Bags save African Crop, but Not How Experts Once Thought." University News Service. Purdue University, 21 Feb. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. *"Project Overview." Purdue Improved Crop Storage. Purdue University, 2010. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. *Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage - Technician Training Manual. Rep. Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage Project, 2008. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. {{bags Food storage containers Bags