Traditional and modern seed storage methods for sustainable agriculture in Iraq: A systematic review of local evidence and global comparators

Background Seed storage is an important component of agricultural sustainability and food security in Iraq, where storage conditions vary substantially across crops, regions, and farming systems. Traditional storage practices remain widely relevant to smallholder agriculture, while hermetic, dry-chain, digital, and emerging seed-treatment technologies have been investigated in different geographical contexts. Objective This systematic review evaluated the available evidence on the performance, limitations, and applicability of traditional and modern seed storage approaches relevant to smallholder agriculture in Iraq, with particular attention to hermetic storage, moisture management, community-based systems, digital monitoring, and emerging seed-treatment technologies. Methods The review was conducted and reported in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 statement. Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar and the Iraqi Academic Scientific Journals (IASJ) platform were searched for publications in English or Arabic from January 2009 to June 2026. Thirty-two studies were included: eight provided Direct Iraqi Evidence based on primary data generated within Iraq, and 24 were classified as Global Comparator Evidence. Study quality was appraised with a five-domain checklist informed by the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool, and the evidence was synthesised narratively because of substantial heterogeneity in crops, storage systems, study designs, storage durations and outcome measures. Results The Iraqi evidence indicates that storage duration, moisture conditions, storage method, fungal contamination, and environmental conditions influence seed and grain quality. International comparative evidence indicates that hermetic storage can reduce insect exposure and moisture exchange and may help maintain grain and seed quality under appropriate conditions. Evidence for digital monitoring, community-based storage, and emerging seed-treatment technologies remains comparatively limited in the Iraqi context. Conclusion The available evidence supports further investigation of integrated storage approaches that combine locally adapted infrastructure with hermetic storage, appropriate moisture management, monitoring technologies, and, where justified by safety and efficacy evidence, emerging seed-treatment interventions. However, the proposed Smart Cooperative Hybrid Model remains a conceptual framework rather than a field-validated system. Iraq-specific multi-location trials, transparent cost-benefit analyses, and implementation studies are required before its technical, economic, and institutional feasibility can be established.