The low temperature is one inportant factor for the safe grain storage.
The life activities of biology, food included, are affected by temperature. When the stored grain is in the appropriate temperature range, the life activity of seeds is vigorous, the reproduction of pest and microorganism is accelerated, it is unfavorable for the life activities in the excessively high or low temperature, even can cacao death.
The most sensitive to temperature is pests. Grain storage temperature in the range of 25-330 degrees is most suitable for the growth of pest reproduction, the harm to grain is more serious, and it can also cause local heating and mildew; When the grain temperature dropped to about 200 degrees, the growth rate of pests decreased significantly; When grain temperature drops to about 150 degrees, pests can hardly reproduce their offspring, and their activities become weaker and will not endanger grain; When the temperature is further lowered to 100 degrees or less, after a certain period of time, the pest will freeze to death.
For fungi and other microorganisms, the temperature in the range of 15-350 degrees, when the humidity is appropriate, breeding and growing rapidly, it is easy to lead to food milden and rot; While the grain temperature dropped to 50 degrees, the mildew and other microorganisms that were harmful to grain were restrained, even if the grain moisture was higher, it was still safe basically. In the northeast of China, the moisture content of corn harvested every winter is relatively high, which can reach more than 20%, but it can still be stored safely in winter. That's on this account. As for grain itself, grain storage at low temperature is beneficial to the preservation of grain quality, and it can slow down the aging process of grain itself. Low temperature can prolong the life of seeds at low temperature, seed respiration was inhibited, the seed viability is maintained, such as wheat can be stored for 10 years at a low temperature, corn kept at a low temperature after 6 years still has very good germination rate.
