Author(s): Paterno C. Borlagdan, Rhee Cartin and Tom de Bruin
A study on the design and development of a collapsible hermetic silo for organic and chemical-free storage of dry agricultural commodities was conducted to verify its application under open-air field condition. Two models were fabricated with pneumatic posts to facilitate the preparatory assembly for the center top loading of grain. They were filled with dry corn and initial moisture contents were recorded. One unit was covered with grain shade material (GrainshadeTM) with the ability to reflect, on average, 75% of solar radiation, whereas the other one was not covered. Both units passed the pressure decay test (PDT), which was conducted on both models to ensure hermetic condition. Oxygen levels were monitored. A faster reduction of oxygen level was observed in the grain shade-covered storage silo, with 2.1% safe oxygen level after 4 months of storage. The higher capacity collapsible hermetic silos can be used to safely store dry agricultural commodities in open air field as they are able to maintain product quality and minimize losses without the use of chemicals.
