Abstract This study was designed to determine the quantitative and qualitative losses of stored grains that arise from insect infestation in three districts of southwestern Ethiopia. One district was selected from each zone based on the production potential of the target crops (maize, sorghum, wheat and fababean). A total of 240 farmers’ stores from all districts were randomly selected. The grain samples used in the present study were stored for 5 different time periods, ranging from 1 to 5 months and from the same farmers’ stores, to determine grain weight loss, insect damage, and nutritional losses. Grain damage showed significant differences over the storage periods across the study districts. A similar trend was observed for weight loss for each of the grains in all districts. The moisture content of the grains decreased along the storage duration. Crude protein and crude fat contents significantly decreased as the storage duration increased in all traditional storage types. Furthermore, the crude fibre and ash contents of the different grain types significantly increased as the storage duration increased in all storage types. These results demonstrated that traditional storage structures have a substantial effect on quantitative and qualitative losses of stored grains. This finding has great implications for food security and hidden nutritional deficits in society. Thus, there is a need to develop and disseminate storage technologies that minimize losses and that are affordable for small farm holders.

中文翻译：

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埃塞俄比亚虫害对储存粮食的定量和定性损失评估

摘要 本研究旨在确定埃塞俄比亚西南部三个地区因虫害而引起的储存谷物的定量和定性损失。根据目标作物（玉米、高粱、小麦和蚕豆）的生产潜力，从每个区域中选择一个区域。随机抽取了来自各区的240家农家商店。本研究中使用的谷物样品储存了 5 个不同的时间段，从 1 到 5 个月不等，来自同一农民的商店，以确定谷物重量损失、昆虫损害和营养损失。不同研究区的贮藏期间，谷物损害表现出显着差异。在所有地区，每种谷物的体重减轻都观察到类似的趋势。谷物的水分含量随着贮藏时间的延长而降低。随着所有传统储存类型的储存时间增加，粗蛋白质和粗脂肪含量显着降低。此外，随着储存时间的增加，不同谷物类型的粗纤维和灰分含量显着增加。这些结果表明，传统的储存结构对储存谷物的数量和质量损失有重大影响。这一发现对社会中的粮食安全和隐藏的营养缺乏具有重大意义。因此，需要开发和传播使损失最小化且小农场主负担得起的储存技术。随着所有传统储存类型的储存时间增加，粗蛋白质和粗脂肪含量显着降低。此外，随着储存时间的增加，不同谷物类型的粗纤维和灰分含量显着增加。这些结果表明，传统的储存结构对储存谷物的数量和质量损失有重大影响。这一发现对社会中的粮食安全和隐藏的营养缺乏具有重大意义。因此，需要开发和传播使损失最小化且小农场主负担得起的储存技术。随着所有传统储存类型的储存时间增加，粗蛋白质和粗脂肪含量显着降低。此外，随着储存时间的增加，不同谷物类型的粗纤维和灰分含量显着增加。这些结果表明，传统的储存结构对储存谷物的数量和质量损失有重大影响。这一发现对社会中的粮食安全和隐藏的营养缺乏具有重大意义。因此，需要开发和传播使损失最小化且小农场主负担得起的储存技术。这些结果表明，传统的储存结构对储存谷物的数量和质量损失有重大影响。这一发现对社会中的粮食安全和隐藏的营养缺乏具有重大意义。因此，需要开发和传播使损失最小化且小农场主负担得起的储存技术。这些结果表明，传统的储存结构对储存谷物的数量和质量损失有重大影响。这一发现对社会中的粮食安全和隐藏的营养缺乏具有重大意义。因此，需要开发和传播使损失最小化且小农场主负担得起的储存技术。