Stored-grain insect areawide pest management.

Abstract

Abstract This chapter describes an areawide pest management programme for insect pests of stored grains (focusing on wheat), considering the operating practices of elevators; the economic losses attributed to insects; the natural enemies of stored-grain insects; and the current insect pest management practices at elevators. Calendar-based fumigation of all of the grain at an elevator is not cost-effective because usually only a percentage of the bins require fumigation at any one time. Delaying the fumigation, when possible, until the autumn has several benefits: (i) the grain can be cooled with aeration after an autumn fumigation, which decreases subsequent population growth; (ii) insect immigration rates into grain bins in the autumn and winter are lower than during the summer; and (iii) the necessity for a second fumigation is greatly reduced because of (i) and (ii). Areawide, sampling-based pest management at each elevator or across the grain-marketing system using decision-support software can minimize the cost and maximize the effectiveness of insect pest management. In addition, it should reduce the risk of economic losses due to insects, the amount of wheat that is fumigated and the frequency of fumigation.