Partial vacuum storage: reducing oxygen to protect grain quality
As long as water content and temperature limits are respected during storage, it may be advisable for batches of cereals, oilseeds and certain legumes - not infested at harvest, such as chickpeas, lupins and French soybeans, to create a partial vacuum in the storage packaging (such as sealed big-bags or hermetically-lidded palox), which has the effect of rarefying the oxygen and slowing down all lipid oxidation phenomena. This practice is ideal for extending shelf life without any risk of significant reduction in seed germination capacity. The germinative capacity of oilseeds stored at high temperatures (28-35°C), such as peanuts, is even better preserved in vacuum packaging than in a CO₂-enriched atmosphere or in ambient air.
Comparison of changes in germination capacity of peanut seeds stored at high temperature in vacuum, CO₂*-enriched atmosphere or ambient air.