Connect With Us

Inside INdiana Business
Subscribe Now Log In
  • Home
  • News
    • Education
    • Health
    • Tech
    • STEM
    • Advanced Manufacturing & Logistics
    • Life Sciences
    • Ag INnovation
    • INPower
  • Videos
  • Big Wigs
    • Submit Big Wigs
  • Events
    • Engage Central Indiana – Indianapolis
    • Engage Northeast Indiana – Fort Wayne
    • Engage West Central Indiana – Terre Haute
    • Engage Greater Lafayette – West Lafayette
    • Engage Northwest Indiana – Valparaiso
    • Engage South Bend – Elkhart
    • Engage Southwest Indiana – Evansville
  • Newsletters
  • Podcasts
  • On-Air
    • TV & Radio Listings
  • Contact
    • About IIB
    • Meet the Team
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Gift Cards
    • Flagship Stations
    • Gerry’s Message
    • Speaking Engagement Request

Connect With Us

Crop-Saving Bags Earn Purdue Award

Monday, May 2, 2016 12:43 PM EDT Updated: Monday, May 2, 2016 01:34 PM EDT
By Alex Brown
Crop-Saving Bags Earn Purdue Award The bags help farmers store their crops for more than one year.

A team of Purdue University faculty and staff has received the College of Agriculture’s annual TEAM award for the development of crop-saving bags. The team created the Purdue Improved Crop Storage, or PICS, program, which has helped improve food security for farmers in Africa.

The PICS program involves a chemical-free storage method using hermetic triple bagging. The bags allow farmers to store various crops for more than one year after harvest.

"The work of the PICS team is making a difference in the lives of millions of people in Africa by helping to increase farmer income as well as improve food security," said Jay Akridge, dean of Purdue Agriculture. "The passion and commitment they demonstrate for putting the PICS technology into the hands of those who can benefit is both exemplary and inspirational. They are eminently deserving of the TEAM Award."

Purdue says the PICS technology was developed in the late 1980s, but the initial PICS program began in 2007 and focused on using the technology to safely store cowpeas in west and central Africa. A second phase, known as PICS2, focused on using the bags to store other crops.

PICS3 is extending the program to commercialization involving multiple crops and bringing the technology to countries in eastern Africa. All three phases were funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The team will be recognized at a ceremony May 9 and will receive a $10,000 cash prize to continue working on the project. The team will also receive a commemorative plaque which will be displayed in the Agricultural Administration Building.

You can learn more about the project by viewing the video below:

Story Continues Below

Most Popular Stories

  • West Terre Haute carbon-capture project viewed as a forerunner

  • GM to make announcement at Fort Wayne plant

Perspectives

Who deserves your money?

Who deserves your money?

Let's face it; whether you are a business or an individual, you work hard for your money. When it comes time to consider making a gift or grant, there are several vehicles and seemingly worthy recipients. How do you sort through the myriad of requests and reward the organization that will have the best outcome and amplifies the impact of your gift?...

Inside INdiana Business

Inside INdiana Business
A division of IBJ Media

1 Monument Circle, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46204

PHONE: (317) 634-6200

FAX: (317) 263-5060

NEWSLETTER@IIBNEWS.COM

  • Home
  • News
  • Videos
  • Gerry Dick
  • Newsletters
  • On-Air
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy | Terms of Service