by Jeff Russell, Western Australia Grains Biosecurity Officer
Australia is known for supplying high quality contaminant-free grain to the international market and for developing new storage practices to keep it that way.
Maninder Kaur, a PhD student at Murdoch University, is doing research to improve the storage life of postharvest cereal grain while maintaining its quality.
“We apply a voltage to a gas like air, helium, argon or a mixture of these to create positively and negatively charged particles that are called cold plasma,” explained Maninder.
“It can be used to treat grain at temperatures less than 40ºC so it doesn’t harm the food products it’s used on.”
“The treatment is also chemical-free when air is used to make it.”
“This has major benefits over chemical or physical postharvest treatments that often leave residues or may change the nutritional properties of treated grain.”
Maninder’s interest in agriculture began in her hometown, a small village in Punjab in north India, where farming was the main source of income.
“As a farmer’s daughter I have always been interested in growing safe and healthy food without using chemicals to avoid their harmful effects on the environment and ourselves,” Maninder said.
“This may be a way to treat stored grain that is environmentally friendly and free from chemical residues.”
She is treating the fungi that causes Fusarium headblight (Fusarium graminearum), and the poisonous chemicals it produces called mycotoxins.
“I am also looking at the potential impact this treatment has on the grain,” says Ms Kaur.
“Our early tests show we can control the growth of fungi in the lab (Figure 1) and it does not change the ability of the grain to germinate.”
“Instead, we have found it increases the root and shoot growth of the seedlings (Figure 2).”
For more information contact Kirsty Bayliss, Maninder’s supervisor, at Murdoch Univeristy at k.bayliss@murdoch.edu.au.