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Preventing pest attack in long-term grain storage (Pest-proof long-term grain storage)
Project
Project code: 2814800111
Contract period: 01.09.2012
- 31.12.2015
Budget: 285,604 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
Aim of this project is a mechanic means of protection against pest attack. Gastight or at least insect-proof storage techniques will be tested and compared in long-term grain storages used by BLE. Moreover, hermetic sealing in plastic liners and reduction of oxygen levels with and without vacuum will be tested. Grain quality will be determined at various water contents after different storage periods. In cases were good grain quality is determined after two years of storage these types of packages may be kept for up to 10 years. Some representative civil emergency storages of selected and interested storage owners will be rendered gastight or insect-proof. Costs of these measures will be calculated. Contents of attractive volatiles of grain, rice and peas will be determined by GC-EAG in samles from the vicinity of storages. After modification these structures will be monitored for at least two storage seasons determining product temperature, relative humidity, and the occurrence of pest organisms in comparison to regular storages. Monitoring techniques will be improved. Moths will be detected with funnel traps using sex pheromone lures of food processing industry. The funnel traps will also contain some water because water was shown to be attractive to moths. This effect will be determined in laboratory trials. To monitor the pest population pressure, traps will also be placed outside storage structures. Also rodents and mites will be monitored. Good results in modified structures will be turned into suggestions for BLE-ZNR-call guidelines and recommendations for grain storage published and may be turned into new guidelines. Modification of existing storages to hermetic or insect-proof structures. Measuring volatiles around storages by GC-EAG. Laboratory trials of various storage methods. Efficacy of vacuum storage against S. granarius. Results will be turned into recommendations for storage keepers and silo builders.
Result: In the course of the project three exemplary horizontal grain storages for “Bundesreserve Getreide” were re-structured into pest-proof storages in 2013. Due to a frosty springtime construction works had to be postponed into the summer season which caused insect attack in the grain storages submitted to reconstruction. Temperature and moisture data were collected as well as various data from traps and regular monitoring. Pheromone funnel traps with sex-pheromone baits were distributed indoors and outside of grain storages to determine the occurance of pest insects outside and inside the storage. Laboratory tests with sex pheromone traps showed that one set of commercially available baits was completely inactive. The mobile collector for grain volatiles was built. Experiments on grain storage in plastic bags with and without vacuum started in summer 2013. Granary weevils in bags with vacuum (500 mbar) did not survive the shortest tested storage periods of 3 months.
Section overview
Subjects
- Food Chemistry
- Food microbiology
Funding programme
Excutive institution
Institute for Ecological Chemistry, Plant Analysis and Stored Products Protection (JKI-ÖPV)
