To see a reduction in the mold population in inert gas-modified storage, molds would have to be able to germinate and grow on the grain. However, when good safe storage practices are applied, at temperatures and moisture content below the critical spoilage risk threshold, mold spores cannot germinate, let alone form a mycelium: on dry seeds, there is no mold because there is no "free" water available. But in metal enclosures, where condensation can sometimes occur in certain places, inerting can limit the speed of mold development if the conditions for their proliferation are present.
Preserving the germinative energy of stored seeds from one year to the next is also one of the advantages of storing in oxygen-depleted atmospheres, particularly those enriched with CO₂ (see below).