Silo-bag system for storage of grains, seeds and by-products: A review and research agenda

Silo-bags (grain bag, sausage bag or silo bolsa) have been used for storing grains in Argentina for more than 25 years, and are now fully integrated in the grain postharvest system at different levels with important economic and logistic benefits for the agricultural sector. Additionally, silo-bags are being adopted in more than fifty countries, from the tropics to the cold regions of the world. Given the interest that silo-bag technology is arousing worldwide, it is timely to review the state of the art and identify gaps in scientific knowledge. The scope of this review includes the particular ecosystem of the grain stored in silo-bags, the abiotic components (temperature, moisture content and gasses) and interactions with biotic components (microorganisms and insects), alternatives for insect control treatments, effect of storage conditions on grain quality, modelling work, and the impact of the silo-bag system on the economics and logistics of the agricultural sector. Additionally, gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed in future research projects are identified and discussed.