Storage of Grains - UNSOLVED PRACTICE SET
Chapter: Improvement in Food Resources | Topic: Storage of Grains
STORAGE OF GRAINS - UNSOLVED PRACTICE SET
Topic: Storage of Grains
Multiple Choice Questions
Q1. The main purpose of storing harvested grains is to:
- Make them taste better
- Keep them safe from pests, moisture, and spoilage for future use
- Increase their weight
- Change their colour
Q2. Which of the following factors causes maximum damage to stored grains?
- Proper ventilation
- Moisture, pests, and microorganisms
- Cool temperature
- Dry conditions
Q3. Fumigation of stored grains is done to:
- Increase the nutritional value
- Kill pests and insects without affecting the grain quality
- Make the grains heavier
- Change the colour of grains
Q4. Which storage structure is commonly used by Indian farmers at the village level?
- Refrigerators
- Granaries, jute bags, and metal bins
- Swimming pools
- Plastic bottles
Q5. Before storing grains, farmers dry them in the sun because:
- It makes them look golden
- Reducing moisture content prevents fungal growth and pest multiplication
- It increases the protein content
- It kills the seeds
Short Answer Questions
Q6. Why is proper storage of grains important for India? Mention two economic and two food security reasons.
Q7. List four factors that cause damage to stored grains. How does high moisture content specifically lead to grain spoilage?
Q8. What is fumigation? Name one common fumigant used in grain storage and explain why it is preferred over spraying pesticides directly on grains.
Q9. A farmer stores wheat in jute bags on the floor of his mud house. After the monsoon, he finds the wheat mouldy and infested with insects. What two mistakes did he make, and how should he store the wheat instead?
Long Answer Questions
Q10. Explain the importance and methods of grain storage in India. Describe the factors that cause grain losses during storage (moisture, temperature, pests, microorganisms), the traditional and modern storage structures used by Indian farmers, and the preventive measures like drying, cleaning, fumigation, and proper ventilation. Why is it estimated that India loses millions of tonnes of grains every year due to poor storage?
Q11. "India produces enough food to feed its people, but poor storage rots the harvest before it reaches the plate." Discuss this statement by explaining: the magnitude of post-harvest losses in India, the main causes (lack of proper storage facilities, moisture, pests, infrastructure gaps), the role of government agencies like FCI (Food Corporation of India), and what modern technologies (silos, cold storage, hermetic storage) can do to reduce these losses.
APPLICATION / ANALYSIS
Q12. Case Study — Storage Loss Comparison:
A study compared grain storage methods in two villages:
Answer the following:
(a) Calculate the monetary loss due to grain spoilage in Village Y if the original grain value was ₹50,000.
(b) Why does Village X lose only 2% while Village Y loses 25%? Explain three specific reasons.
(c) If the government provides metal bins at 50% subsidy (₹1,000 per bin instead of ₹2,000), and a farmer needs 5 bins, how much does he pay? Would this be a good investment? Justify.
Q13. Real-Life Application — School Grain Bank:
Your school wants to start a "Grain Bank" to help families during emergencies. The student council collects 500 kg of rice and 300 kg of wheat from donations. They need to store it safely for up to one year.
Available options:
Store in the school auditorium corner (open, sometimes damp)
Store in the chemistry lab refrigerator (cold but small)
Store in sealed plastic drums in a dry, ventilated store room
Store in loose heaps in the playground shed
Answer the following:
(a) Evaluate each storage option. Which is the best and which is the worst? Give reasons.
(b) Before storing, what preparation should be done to the grains? List two essential steps.
(c) If the grain bank needs to last one year, what monthly check would you recommend to ensure the grains remain safe?