Semi-underground grain storage: The effects of moisture, temperature and interseed atmospheres, on the quality of grain sorghum in lined and unlined pits

Most farmers in Gedarif, Sudan rely on the semi-underground storage pits or "matmura", for long-term storage of grain sorghum.;The concentration of CO;In the pits containing uninfested grain, the amount of moisture grained by the sorghum during storage depended on the moisture content in the adjacent pit walls. Grain stored in unlined pits and higher moisture content than sudan grass-lined pits at the end of the 3 months' storage. The higher the moisture content of grain in the unlined pits was accompanied by increased frequency of storage fungi (especially Penicillium spp.) a decline in field fungi (especially Alternaria spp.) and germination of grain particularly at the bottom. Infestation of grain sorghum with Sitophilus oryzae, the rice weevils at the rate of 7/kg caused increased temperatures (up to 30...