Pre-Harvest Prophylaxis for Infestation Control in Stored Food-Grains

Abstract

STORED food-grains suffer from considerable losses due to insect infestations in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world1. During post-harvest storage, cross-infestation by insect pests and the multiplication of pests as a result of field-infestation occur in stored grains even within a storage period of a few months in warehouses2–3. Fumigation with noxious gases such as methyl bromide, carbon disulphide, carbon tetrachloride, hydrocyanic acid, ethylene oxide and others, although of use in the control of most infestations, is not easy for the producer or the warehouse-man to apply2. Parkin1 observed that application of such measures unfortunately lags behind the advance of knowledge in all but the most highly developed countries, and even in those is not always so widespread or up-to-date as it could be. A new approach has therefore been made to replace the fumigation treatment with a relatively simpler prophylactic spray treatment of the grain under pre-harvest condition, using a chemical of low toxicity for mammals, for the control of pest infestation during post-harvest storage.