Patent ID: 8528305
Filing Date: 2013-09-10
Classification: A01N,B65B,B65D

Abstract:
1. An insect and mold resistant method without the use of pesticide for long-term storage and transport of a dry agricultural commodity having a weight of 10-2,000 kilograms, the method comprising: providing a flexible, hermetic long-term storage container for containment and hermetic sealing of the dry agricultural commodity therein, the flexible, hermetic long-term storage container comprising: an outer layer; an inner layer; and a middle layer; providing the middle layer comprising an ultra-low permeability packaging material; providing the long-term storage container in a size to hold the commodity having a weight of 10-2,000 kilograms; providing the ultra-low permeability packaging material with ultra-low permeability characteristics based upon 1) the size of the container, and 2) long-term storage requirements; providing the ultra-low permeability material with ultra-low permeability characteristics including having a permeability to oxygen of less than 50 cc/m providing the ultra-low permeability packaging material with ultra-low permeability characteristics including having a permeability to water vapor of less than 15 g/m providing the ultra-low permeability packaging material with a thickness of less than or equal to 0.1 mm; providing the commodity with protection from insect infestation without use of a pesticide; providing an outer container for containment of said long-term storage container, wherein the outer container mechanically protects the flexible, hermetic long-term storage container during handling and transport; placing the dry agricultural commodity, having a weight of 10-2,000 kilograms, in the flexible, hermetic long-term storage container; hermetically sealing the flexible, hermetic long-term storage container and limiting the oxygen ingress to less than the oxygen consumed by respiration; resisting insect penetration of the storage container solely based upon the ultra-low permeability packaging material and without the use of a pesticide; killing insects through lack of a continuous supply of oxygen by sufficiently preventing oxygen from entering the container as solely a result of the ultra-low permeability characteristics; preventing mold growth as a result of the ultra-low permeability characteristics; maintaining the original post-drying moisture content of the dry agricultural commodity for commodities having the weight of 10-2,000 kilograms and for long-term storage of at least four months solely based upon the ultra-low permeability packaging material, without the use of pesticide, and without the use of periodic vacuum pumping after hermetically sealing the container; protecting against insect infestation solely through the use of the ultra-low permeability material, wherein the available oxygen is consumed by infesting insects including eggs, larva, pupae, and adult insects to a level low enough to cause the death of the infesting insects; protecting the commodity in the hermetically sealed storage container by inhibiting mold and fungus growth through the low level of oxygen and lack of a high humidity; and placing the flexible, hermetic long-term storage container in the outer container.