ABSTRACT
An average annual world production of cereals, oilseeds, and
legumes (hereafter referred to as grains or products) is 2 Gt
(billion tonnes).[1] These grains when stored in bulk create a
man-made ecosystem where interactions between abiotic
(temperature, moisture content, intergranular gas composi-
tion) and biotic (grain, insects, mites, molds, bacteria) fac-
tors can cause their deterioration. By reducing temperature
(to 10-20C) and moisture content (to 12-14% for cereals), these products can be stored for long durations because the
activities of biological agents are significantly reduced at
low temperatures. The concept of equilibriummoisture con-
tent (EMC) plays a significant role in understanding the
drying process of grains and their potential to deteriorate.
