Evolution of Merchantability during Storage of Maize Triple Bagged Containing Biopesticides (Lippia multiflora and Hyptis suaveolens)

The aim of study was to evaluate merchantability quality of stored maize in triple bagging with biopesticides. Maize grains were collected in March 2016 in the north of Côte d’Ivoire. The fresh leaves of Lippia multiflora and Hyptis suaveolens were collected and dried in sunlight for 7 days in the center of Cote d'Ivoire. Triple bags were bought in Abidjan market. All this material was sent to the Laboratory of Biochemistry and Food Sciences, Félix Houphouët-Boigny University, Côte d’Ivoire, to perform the experiment. Ten treatments were obtained for the experimentation. The first treatment was conservation of 50 kg of maize grain in a polypropylene bag. The second treatment was conservation of 50 kg of maize grain in a PICS bag. The other eight treatments were carried out with PICS bags each containing 50 kg of maize grain and different proportions of chopped leaves Lippia multiflora and Hyptis suaveolens. A central composite design was used for sample constitution. Thus, a control group with polypropylene bags (TPPB0), a control group in PICS bags without biopesticides (TPB0) and 8 experimental lots of triple bags noted TB1 containing 0.625 kg L. multiflora and 0.625 kg H. suaveolens, TB2 with 0.40 kg of L. multiflora and 1.60 kg of H. suaveolens, TB3 with 1.60 kg of L. multiflora and 0.40 kg of H. suaveolens, TB4 with 0.10 kg of L. multiflora and 0.40 kg of H. suaveolens, TB5 with 0.40 kg of L. multiflora and 0.10 kg of H. suaveolens, TB6 with 2.5 kg of L. multiflora and 2.5 kg of H. suaveolens, TB7 with 1.25 kg of L. multiflora and TB8 with 1.25 kg of H. suaveolens have been used. Changes in moisture, damages and weight losses were studied. The results show moisture levels (from 09.02±0.11% to 12.07± 0.06%), weight loss (from 0.49±0.02% to 2.54±0.07%) and damage (from 0.99±0.02% to 3.96± 0.01%), corn stored in triple bagged bags with different proportions of biopesticide were significantly lower than those recorded in the Polypropylene woven sample bag (TPPB0) and in the triple bagged control bag during the storage period. The results obtained indicate stability in the quality of maize stored for 18 months in triple bagged bags containing different proportions of leaves of L. multiflora and H. suaveolens. A proportion of 5% of the mixture of leaves of L. multiflora and H. suaveolens (2.5 kg of L. multiflora and 2.5 kg of H. suaveolens) in triple bagged bags is recommended for a better preservation of the merchantability of the stored maize grains kernels.

Storage of maize grains in PICS bags with the leaves of L. multiflora and H. suaveolens appears as a method of effective and inexpensive conservation to ensure the merchantability quality of maize.