Effect of Wheat Grains Treatment with Phosphine and Some Plant Oils and Packages Types on the Storability and Chemical Composition under Different Storage Periods

Under the laboratory settings of the Agronomy Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt, a storage experiment was conducted, from 13th May, 2023 to 13th February, 2024 to find out the effect of grains treatment with phosphine and some plant oils (jojoba and lemon oils), packages types (dark and clear polyethylene bags and metal containers) on wheat storing efficiency and chemical analysis’s under different storage periods (3, 6 and 9 months). With four replications, the experiment was established as a factorial experiment using a randomized complete block design. The percentages of insect infestation and grain weight loss were significantly increased, and crude protein and total carbohydrates percentages were considerably decreased due to extending storage times up to 9 months. The least amount of insect infestation, the least amount of grain weight loss, and the crudest protein and total carbohydrates percentages were produced from samples treated with lemon oil at 25 %. Samples sealed in metal containers had the highest percentages of crude protein and total carbohydrates, the lowest percentages of insect infestation and amount of grain weight loss. According to this study, treating wheat grains with lemon oil at 25 % or jojoba oil at 8000 ppm (as a natural plant oils) or phosphine at 5 tablets/m3 (as a chemical material), before storage (periods 3 or 6 or 9 months) in metal containers increased storage efficacy and chemical constituents of grains.