摘要：

This research was carried out to evaluate the suitability of hermetic storage for mungbean. Mungbean samples were stored in airtight PET bottle (hermetic sample) and woven polyethylene bags (control sample) at room temperature either uninfested or infested with Callosobruchus chinensis. Another set of mungbean samples were obtained directly from field and stored in gas-wash bottles as hermetic samples. These samples were stored for 6 months to monitor the gas concentration in every four days intervals. Percentages of grain weight loss, grain damage, moisture content and germination were evaluated form the stored field grain samples. At 2-month intervals during 6 month storage period, development of hard to cook (HTC) characteristics of hermetic and uninfested control samples were evaluated in terms of grain hardness and cooking time. These grain characteristics were also compared with the initial samples. The oxygen content of hermetic samples was dropped to 0.7% and carbon dioxide content was increased to 8% within 28 days of storage. Live insects of C. chinensis were not found in hermetic samples after 30 days. After 6 months, germination decreased from 93 to 87% in the hermetic samples, whereas it was decreased from 93 to 46% in control sample due to grain damage. Percent weight loss and grain damage of hermetic sample was only 4.8 and 5% respectively, compared to the heavy insect damage in the control samples. Moisture content of hermetic samples remained unchanged in comparison to the control. At 6-months, cooking time and grain hardness of the control samples had increased by about 40 and 10% respectively. However, cooking time and grain hardness of the hermetic samples were similar to the initials samples. These data indicated that, insect infestation and HTC characteristics can be effectively controlled by hermetic storage of mungbean while maintaining its desirable market quality.

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