Effects of storage in triple-layer hermetic bags on stored field pea grain quality and infestation by the pea weevil, Bruchus pisorum L. (Coleoptera: Bruchidae (original) (raw)
Related papers
Journal of Stored Products Research, 2020
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) grain is an important source of protein for smallholder farmers in developing countries. However, cowpea grains are highly susceptible to bruchid attack, resulting in high quantitative and qualitative postharvest losses (PHLs). We evaluated the performance of five different hermetic bag brands for cowpea grain storage in two contrasting agro-ecological zones of Zimbabwe (Guruve and Mbire districts) for an 8-month storage period during the 2017/18 and 2018/19 storage seasons. The hermetic bag treatments evaluated included: GrainPro Super Grain bags (SGB) IVR™; PICS bags; AgroZ ® Ordinary bags; AgroZ ® Plus bags; ZeroFly ® hermetic bags. These were compared to untreated grain in a polypropylene bag (negative control) and Actellic Gold Dust ® (positive chemical control). All treatments were housed in Authors Accepted Manuscript-06/06/2020 2 farmers' stores and were subjected to natural insect infestation. Hermetic bag treatments were significantly superior (p< 0.001) to non-hermetic storage in limiting grain damage, weight loss and insect population development during storage. However, rodent control is recommended, as rodent attack rendered some hermetic bags less effective. Actellic Gold Dust ® was as effective as the hermetic bags. Callosobruchus rhodesianus (Pic.) populations increased within eight weeks of storage commencement, causing high damage and losses in both quality and quantity, with highest losses recorded in the untreated control. Cowpea grain stored in Mbire district sustained significantly higher insect population and damage than Guruve district which is ascribed to differences in environmental conditions. The parasitic wasp, Dinarmus basalis (Rondani) was suppressed by Actellic Gold Dust ® and all hermetic treatments. All the hermetic bag brands tested are recommended for smallholder farmer use in reducing PHLs while enhancing environmental and worker safety, and food and nutrition security.
Participatory on-farm trials were conducted to assess effectiveness of Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS™) bags for storage of maize in small-scale farmers' stores in rural villages in eastern Kenya. A PICS bag is a three-layered hermetic bag-system that forms a barrier against the influx of oxygen and the escape of carbon dioxide. Jute, woven polypropylene or PICS bags were filled with shelled maize grain, purchased from the participating farmers, and the three sets of bags kept in the farmers' own stores for 35 weeks. Oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the PICS bags were monitored, as well as the temperature and relative humidity in all the bags. Grain moisture, live insect population, grain damage and weight loss were examined at intervals of seven weeks. Oxygen and carbon dioxide composition demonstrated that PICS bags are capable of sustaining good air-barrier properties under farmer storage conditions. Moreover, moisture content of maize stored in PICS bags did not change throughout the storage period whereas the moisture content of maize stored in polypropylene and jute bags decreased significantly in the final 14 weeks. Maize stored in PICS bags remained free from insect infestation and the weight loss due to insect damage was below 1 %. On the contrary, polypropylene and jute bags permitted profuse build-up of insect populations. At 35 weeks, grain damage reached 77.6 % and 82.3 % corresponding to 41.2 % and 48.5 % weight loss in the polypropylene and jute bags respectively. These findings demonstrate that PICS bags are effective in controlling losses caused by storage pests under farmer storage conditions.
Performance of Triple and Double Hermetic Bags for Maize Grain Storage
International journal of agriculture, environment and bioresearch, 2022
A study to compare the effectiveness of two brands of hermetic bags in suppressing maize weevils was carried out at the Department of Crop Science and Horticulture laboratory at SUA for a duration of 180 days. The experiment comprised three treatments: two brands of hermetic bags PICS, AgroZ, and polypropylene bags. The treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design, each replicated three times. Each treatment was artificially infested with maize weevils prior to the experiment setup. Insect count, moisture content, grain damage, weight loss, and germination potential were determined. The AgroZ hermetic bags recorded the lowest weight loss and grain damage mean values of 0.6% and 1.35% respectively. The PICS bag recorded weight loss and grain damage mean values of 0.8% and 0.93% respectively. After 180 days of storage no live insects were found in the maize grain kept in hermetic bags. No significant difference was observed in the effectiveness of hermetic bags. On the other hand, polypropylene bags, had the highest weight loss and grain damage mean values of 8.28% and 24.64%, respectively, as a result of maize weevils. Insect count and germination were significantly different (P<0.05) in various treatments. Further research is recommended to be extended into the exploration of the re-usability of locally manufactured hermetic bags.
Grain crops are the dominant source of nutrition for the majority of the world's population, particularly in developing nations. However, mainly in traditional storage methods, significant grain losses are incurred due to rodents, insect pests, and environmental conditions. To meet the food demand for the ever-increasing world population, it is necessary to address the issue of grain loss to pest damage in storage. In line with the potential of different hermetic storage technologies (PICS bags, Metal Silos and Polypropylene bags + low-density Polyethylene bags) and conventional Jute Sacks and Polypropylene bags in maintaining the quality of the grain over 7months of storage were evaluated. Compared with traditional jute sacks and Polypropylene bags, all hermetic storage methods showed better storage performance in retaining germination capacity, nutritional composition and reduced the percentage of seed damage. Of all storage methods, Metal silos and PICS bags were the most effective in reducing both quantitative and nutritional losses of the grain. They reduced the percentage of seed damage below 3.8%, but the percentage of grain damage in Jute sacks was as high as 61.2%. It is recommended that smallholder farmers can use either metal silo or PICS bags to store their grains.
Journal of Stored Products Research, 2020
There are various types of grain storage bags available to farmers in tropical countries. However, these bags differ in price, quality, and reduced post-harvest losses due to insect pests and mould infestation. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of three types of storage bags of Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS), Grain pro-super (GPS) and woven (WN) bags under assumed small farmer's storage practices in the subtropical climatic conditions. The practice of weekly routine opening of the bags was compared with the recommended practice of keeping the bags closed for at least 3 months. Under laboratory experiment, insect population, moisture content, grain humidity, and temperature were measured at the weekly intervals while under farmer's setting, moisture content (%) of maize and percentage of insect damage were measured after 3 and 6 months of storage at the farmer's homestead. Considering the routine weekly opening effect, the PICS bag kept a low grain humidity average (56.6%) compared to the Grain pro-super bag (64.2%) and Woven bag (71.5%). The PICS bag reduced the insect population to an average of zero (0.4) compared to GPS (6.5) and the WN (14.8). Under farmer's conditions, the mean difference in the percentage of insect damage between the PICS and GPS were insignificant (P > 0.05) at both 3 and 6 months of storage, and the insect damage throughout decreased with time. The results of this study indicate that PICS bag may support positively the practice of routine weekly opening compared to the GPS and WN in the subtropical climatic conditions.
Assessment of the Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bag for maize storage in Ghana
African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development
Despite the recent introduction of improved grain storage methods and technologies, many smallholder maize farmers in Ghana still use traditional storage practices and structures for storing their maize grains after harvest. This practice contributes to the high post-harvest losses in maize grain at the smallholder level largely due to insect pest infestation. Hermetic bag storage is a proven technology effective in reducing grain damage and losses from insect pests. In this study, the efficacy of the Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bag was compared with a polypropylene (PP) bag stored with maize treated with Betallic Super EC chemical and PP bag stored with maize without Betallic treatment (Control) during a 6-month storage period. Data on grain moisture content (MC), number of live insects, insect damaged kernels (IDK) and maize weight loss were collected monthly for analysis. Grain viability and nutrient analysis were also conducted before and after storage. The results showe...
Journal of Economic Entomology, 2015
Fumigated dry common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) that were artificially infested with Acanthoscelides obtectus Say, and others that were not artificially infested, were stored in hermetic triple-layer PICS (Lela Agro, Kano, Nigeria) or woven polypropylene (PP) bags for 6 mo at ambient laboratory temperature conditions of 22.6 6 1.9 C and 60.1 6 4.3% relative humidity. In an additional trial, beans contained in PP bags were treated with Actellic Super dust before introducing A. obtectus. Moisture content, number of live adult A. obtectus, seed damage, weight loss, and seed germination were determined at monthly intervals. At 6 mo, beans stored in PICS bags retained higher moisture than those stored in PP bags, but in all treatments the moisture level remained below that recommended for safe storage of beans. In the PICS bags, proliferation of A. obtectus did not proceed and at 6 mo, beans stored in these bags did not have insect-inflicted seed damage or weight loss. In contrast, seed damage and weight loss in PP bags exceeded economic threshold after 1 mo in the absence of Actellic Super dust (Syngenta Crop protection AG, Basle, Switzerland), and after 2 mo in the presence of it. Germination of beans stored in PP bags decreased greatly whereas the beans stored in PICS bags did not show reduced germination. Chemical free storage of common beans in PICS bags protects them against damage by A. obtectus. RÉ SUMÉ Les haricots (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) fumigés puis artificiellement infestés avec Acanthoscelides obtectus Say, et non-infestes étaient stockés dans les sacs (PICS) à triple fonds ou dans les sacs nylons polypropylè ne (PP) pendant six mois dans les conditions ambiantes de laboratoire (tempé rature: 22.6 6 1.9 C et humidité relative: 60.1 6 4.3%). Dans un autre essai, les haricots stockés dans les sacs nylons é taient traité s avec la poudre d'Actellic Super avant d'introduire les insectes (A. obtectus). L'humidité des graines, le nombre d'insectes adultes vivants, les graines endommagées, la perte de poids, et la germination é taient mesurés mensuellement. Apres six mois de stockage, les haricots stocké s dans les sacs PICS ont maintenu une humidité é levé e comparée à ceux stocké s dans les sacs PP. Cependant, tous les traitements ont maintenu leur l'humidité des grains en dessous du niveau recommandé pour un bon stockage. Les sacs PICS ont arrêté la prolifé ration de A. obtectus, les dommages des graines, et la perte de poids. En revanche, le dommage des graines et pertes en poids dans les sacs PP ont dé passé le seuil é conomique aprè s un mois sans traitement et deux mois avec traitement à l'Actellic Super. La germination des graines stocké es dans les sacs PP a sensiblement diminué tandis que la germination des graines stocké es dans les sacs PICS n'a pas été ré duite. Le stockage sans produit chimique des grains d'haricots dans les sacs PICS les protè ge contre les pertes post-ré colte causé es par A. obtectus. KEY WORDS hermetic storage, PICS bag, common bean, Acanthoscelides obtectus Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are an important source of nutrition for many families in eastern and southern Africa and other parts of the world (Katungi et al. 2010). They are key sources of protein and calories, as well as minerals, vitamins, complex carbohydrates, and polyunsaturated free fatty acids (Geil and Anderson 1994, Hillocks et al. 2006). Common beans may be harvested and consumed as immature pods but are more commonly used as mature seeds in the green or dry form (Katungi et al. 2010). In some areas, the young green leaves of the growing plant are also used as vegetables (Hillocks et al. 2006). Dried beans are the most popular form because they can withstand longer storage periods while awaiting consumption or sale. Diverse cultivars are grown in different regions to match varied market and consumer preferences (Katungi et al. 2010).
Insects
Hermetic technologies are being promoted in Africa as safer and more effective methods of grain storage on smallholder farms. However, farmers and policy makers lack knowledge of their efficacy in controlling major stored grain pests. An on-station study was conducted to evaluate the triple layer Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) airtight bags against two major storage insect pests. Two sets each of PICS, jute and polypropylene bags were filled with 50 kg maize grain per bag. Each set was replicated four times. One set of PICS bags was each infested with 50 insects each of the larger grain borer P. truncatus and the maize weevil S. zeamais; while the other set was not. One set of jute and polypropylene woven bags was treated with a cocktail of 1.6% Pirimiphos methyl and 0.3% Permethrin, serving as positive controls; while the remaining sets with untreated maize grain formed negative controls. Gas analysis in the PICS bags followed the expected trend with oxygen levels falling shar...
Julius-Kühn-Archiv, 2018
The severity of postharvest losses varies considerably depending on storage method and prevalence of storage insect pests known to bore into storage bags. Polypropylene (PP) bags used by smallholder farmers in Nigeria do not provide effective protection for stored produce due to insect boring activities. Deltamethrin incorporated polypropylene, ZeroFly® (ZF) and ZeroFly® Hermetic Storage Bags are technologies with potential to improve protection of stored food commodities against insect attack. Therefore, a 12-month study was conducted in Ibadan, Nigeria to determine the suitability and potential of combined postharvest bag technologies involving ZeroFly® (hermetic and non-hermetic) bags for smallholder farmers when exposed to Sitophilus zeamais and Prostephanus truncatus infestation pressure. Cleaned but un-fumigated 50-kg lots of maize were used to fill bags in each of the following 8 treatments — PP and ZF bags alone, diatomaceous earth-treated maize in PP and ZF bags, single and...
Journal of Stored Products Research, 2014
Rice is the world's most important staple food and the basis of the diet of the majority of the population. In small farm agriculture, the yields obtained in cereal production are usually low and losses, both in the field and during storage, are dramatically high, particularly in developing countries. In Mozambique, these aspects, together with an increased frequency of floods, are hindering advances in rice production. Aimed at contributing to the reduction of losses in stored rice, trials were carried out to compare the effectiveness of traditional raffia bags and of hermetic storage using single and double plastic bags concerning quantitative losses and seed quality, including germination potential, after three and six months of storage. Pest identification, insect populations estimates, percentage of weight loss, germination power and seedling vigor were evaluated. The results showed that, in descending order of density, Angoumois grain moth (Sitotroga cerealella Olivier), lesser grain borer (Rhyzopertha dominica F.), rice/ maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais Mostch. and Sitophilus oryzae L.) and red flour beetle [Tribolium castaneum (Herbst)] were the main insects infesting the rice. When compared to hermetic storage with both single and duplicate airtight bags, traditional storage presented statistically significant higher mean infestation density (30.63e53.94 individuals/kg in traditional and 0.71e3.50 individuals/kg in hermetic storage) and percentage of weight loss (3.03e3.44% in traditional contrasting with 0.27e0.47% in hermetic conditions). In traditional storage a significant 38.25% drop in the germination potential was also observed, attaining values below the established minimum tolerated in Mozambique (80%), while under hermetic storage, that reduction remained within the acceptable values of 13.9e17.5%. The distinct storage methods did not produce significant differences on the moisture content of the grain. These results demonstrate that the use of hermetic storage has resulted in a safe, pesticide-free, and sustainable storage method, suitable for rice seeds, with advantages over traditional bagging. The results presented here lead to propose hermetic storage to be adopted by paddy small farmers, in order to lever food security and income generation in the country.