Nanotechnology Applications in Agricultural Engineering: Development of Nano-Enabled Post-Harvest Storage Materials for Nigerian Tropical Conditions

This study develops and characterises nano-enabled materials for post-harvest crop storage applications in Nigerian tropical conditions, contributing original materials engineering advances to the emerging field of agricultural nanotechnology. Post-harvest losses in Nigeria are among the highest in the world for tropical cereals, legumes, and roots, partly because existing storage materials and technologies do not effectively combine insect pest exclusion, moisture control, mycotoxin inhibition, and mechanical protection in a single affordable system. Nanotechnology offers the potential to engineer multi-functional storage materials with enhanced performance characteristics at low material quantities. This study synthesises and characterises three nano-enabled material systems: zinc oxide nanoparticle-treated woven polypropylene bags for insect and mould control, nanoclay-incorporated polyethylene films for moisture barrier enhancement, and silver nanoparticle-coated storage bin liners for antimicrobial protection. Material synthesis and characterisation uses X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, BET surface area analysis, and spectroscopic methods. Performance testing under simulated and actual Nigerian tropical storage conditions is conducted at the National Stored Products Research Institute Ilorin. Findings reveal that ZnO nanoparticle-treated bags reduce weevil emergence by 94 percent and Aspergillus growth by 87 percent over 6-month maize storage trials without detectable zinc residue transfer to grain above WHO limits. Nanoclay film moisture vapour transmission rate is reduced by 62 percent compared to standard PE film. The study contributes original synthesis-characterisation-performance data for nano-enabled storage materials and recommends safety-validated commercial scale-up.

Keywords: nanotechnology, post-harvest storage, nano-enabled materials, Nigeria, food security.