Abstract
Phosphine (PH3) is widely used as a fumigant for the control of stored product pests. Indiscriminate use of PH3 leads to the development of resistant strains. Thus, an experiment was conducted in a laboratory scale fumigation chamber to determine the synergistic effect of carbon dioxide (CO2) and PH3 on the mortality of Tribolium castaneum during fumigation of paddy. PH3 gas generation varies depending upon grain moisture content and dosage of PH3 used for fumigation treatment. Thus, the maximum PH3 concentration with respect to saturation time was achieved when paddy were treated with 98% CO2 + 3 ppmPH3 at 17% moisture content, leading to a quick mortality of different life stages of T. castaneum with minimum LT50 and LT99 value. Among the different stages of T. castaneum, pupal stage was more resistant to all the treatments compared to larva and adult stages. PH3 residues in all the treatments were below the recommended level and it can be considered as safe for consumption.
Highlights
India handles more than 200 million tons (MT) of food grains annually
A study was undertaken by using PH3 and CO2 combinations to evaluate the synergistic effect of PH3 with respect to saturation time, PH3 generation in paddy and mortality of T. castaneum
It has been observed that at 11% moisture content, maximum PH3 concentration of 322 ppm was recorded with the corresponding saturation time of 73 h in the treatment T1 followed by T2 and T4 with the PH3 concentration of 284 ppm and 270 ppm at the saturation time of 61 h respectively
Summary
India handles more than 200 million tons (MT) of food grains annually. These grains need to be preserved using the available fumigants. It consists of cylinderized compressed gas formulation containing a mixture of 2% PH3 by weight (2.6% by volume) in CO2 (98% by weight) Another recently introduced fumigant for the management of stored product pest is VAPORPH3OS (99.3 % pure PH3 mixed with air). Due to stringent rules in importing and the non-availability of any other chemicals for fumigation other than PH3, none of the fumigants were registered in India At this juncture, a study was undertaken by using PH3 and CO2 combinations to evaluate the synergistic effect of PH3 with respect to saturation time, PH3 generation in paddy and mortality of T. castaneum
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
