Influence of cold plasma treatment on insecticidal properties of wheat seeds against red flour beetles

Abstract

For the long-term fortification of warehoused crops, the insecticidal impact of cold plasma treated wheat seeds against red flour beetles are studied. In this study, the gain weight loss, mortality and repellency tests of cold plasma treated seeds are investigated and statistical analysis is carried out by SPSS software. Cold plasma treatment is carried out at 800 V for 1 and 4 min. The results show that the minimum grain weight loss is observed in plasma treated seeds as compared to controlled seeds. It is also observed that the mortality rate is minimum in the controlled seed while maximum at 4 min plasma treatment. Similarly, the repellent effect has a very small variation as compared to the controlled seed for Tribolium Castaneum. Therefore, plasma treatment can be considered as a practical and effective method for seed protection against red floor beetles particularly during long-term storage by controlling the insecticidal effects.