Assessment of Grain Storage Structures and Containers in Relation to Build-Up of Insect and Rodent Pests in Southwestern Ethiopia

Nezif Abamecha

doi:10.7176/fsqm/93-04

Abstract

This study was designed to assess farmers grain storage containers in relation to buildup of storage pests in three selected districts of southwestern Ethiopia. One district was selected from each zone based on the production potential of selected grain crops such as maize, sorghum, wheat and faba bean. Then, 25 households were randomly selected from each district to collect stored grain samples used for the identification of storage insect pests, and grain samples were taken from different storage structures, including un-plastered and plastered gombisa, gumbi, and polypropylene sacks. The results showed that the dominant insect species in maize, sorghum and wheat grains were weevils ( Sitophilus spp.) followed by the Angoumois grain moth ( Sitotroga cerealella Olivier) and flour beetles ( Tribolium spp.), while the bean weevil ( Zabrotes spp.) was the only species recovered from stored faba beans. High numbers of insects were recorded from both plastered and un-plastered gombisa, gumbi and polypropylene sacks. In addition, the number of each insect pest in each storage method recorded per 100 g -1 grain increased as the duration of grain storage increased. The results of this study also demonstrated that most of the farmers in the study areas perceived insect pests and rodents as the main postharvest pests causing considerable losses of stored grains. The poor storage systems of farmers predispose the stored grains to insect and rodent attacks. Thus, there is a need to train farmers on storage hygiene and to develop and disseminate efficient grain storage facilities to reduce losses in grain stores. Moreover, further studies need an improved pest detection method, such as the use of bioacoustics tools, to manage pests associated with grain stores. Keywords: grain, insects, rodents, storage DOI : 10.7176/FSQM/93-04 Publication date: January 31 st 2020

Highlights

Cereal crops, such as maize, sorghum and wheat, are the main food staples and sources of income for millions of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia
Poor storage systems make grains vulnerable to attacks from insect and rodent pests, which lead to a considerable amount of losses
These species are reported as the main storage insect pests of cereal grains in different parts of Ethiopia (e.g., Mendesil et al (2007; Demissie et al, 2008; Tadesse et al, 2008; Tefera, 2016) and other African countries (e.g., Midega et al, 2016; Abass et al, 2018)

Summary

Introduction

Cereal crops, such as maize, sorghum and wheat, are the main food staples and sources of income for millions of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia. Poor storage systems make grains vulnerable to attacks from insect and rodent pests, which lead to a considerable amount of losses. Kumar and Kalita (2017) reported approximately 50-60% losses of cereal grains during storage due to technical inefficiency. In Ethiopia, the average grain losses due to storage insect pests are estimated to be 10-30% (Tadesse, 2005; MoARD, 2010). Among many storage insect pests, grain weevils, Sitophilus spp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), and the Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), are major pests of cereal crops in Ethiopia (Demisse et al, 2008; Tefera, 2011). Bean bruchids (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), such as Zabrotes subfasciatus and Acanthoscelides obtectus, are the main pests of legume crops, such as faba bean, and cause heavy losses in terms of both quality and quantity of stored legumes (Abate et al, 2000)

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