Chemical Fumigation Research Articles

Chemical composition, fumigant and anti-acetylcholinesterase activity of the Tunisian Citrus aurantium L. essential oils

The present work reported first investigations on fumigant and anti-cholinesterase activities of C. aurantium essential oils and pure limonene towards Tunisian strain of Bemisia tabaci. GC and GC–MS analysis showed a high percent of limonene (87.523%). C. aurantium oils and the single compound were known to be potent AChE inhibitor with IC50 value of 2.94mM and 3.54mM, respectively. Furthermore, it was observed that the oil and its major compound showed a reversible non-competitive inhibition revealed that these components might bind both the enzyme alone and the enzyme–substrate. Significant pest fumigant activity was demonstrated. Fumigant treatments have shown that B. tabaci mortality rate increased with the increase in essential oils concentration. Complete insect mortality was detected at the highest concentration (20μL/L air) within 24h of exposure, whereas, at the least concentration (2.5μL/L air) mortality varied from 41 to 47.67% for the single compound and the oil, respectively. These results suggest that oils from C. aurantium peels may be promising as models to develop new insecticides that might be applied into the integrated management of whiteflies.

Validation of radio frequency treatments as alternative non-chemical methods for disinfesting chestnuts

Chemical fumigation has been widely used to control insects in postharvest chestnuts but is inherent dangers when using fumigants. The purpose of this study was to validate application of radio frequency (RF) treatments for disinfesting chestnuts as an alternative to chemical fumigation. A practical process protocol was developed to control insect pests in chestnuts using a 27.12 MHz free-running oscillator RF system. Fifth-instar yellow peach moth, Conogethes punctiferalis, more heat tolerant than chestnut weevil, Curculio elephas, under three temperature and time combinations using a heating block system, was selected as the targeted insect to validate the RF treatment protocol. Mortality of fifth-instar C. punctiferalis increased with increasing holding time at 55 °C using RF heating and reached 100% while holding in hot air for at least 5 min. Furthermore, there was no significant quality difference in color, fat, firmness, moisture content, protein, and soluble sugar content of chestnuts observed between RF treatments and controls. RF treatment methods hold potential to scale up for industrial applications of disinfesting chestnuts.

Chemical composition and insecticidal activity of essential oil from Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. used against the Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella Zeller

Abstract The Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella Zeller, is a major pest of stored grain products, particularly flour. There have been major concerns over the application of conventional insecticides in stored products, which have strongly demonstrated the need for applying such alternative safe compounds as essential oils. The aim of the present study is to investigate the chemical composition and fumigant toxicity of essential oil from Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. against the eggs, larvae, and adults of E. kuehniella. All toxicity tests were carried out under laboratory conditions set at 26±1°C and 70% relative humidity (RH). The results of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis indicated that the essential oil extracted from the leaves of Z. clinopodioides, is rich in pulegone (49.4%), piperitenone (10.7%), menthone (8.9%), and 1,8-cineol (6.9%). Based on the bioassay results, the LC50 value of the tested oil was estimated to be 54.61 μl · l−1 air for larvae and 1.39 μl · l−1 air for adults. Also, it is shown that increasing the oil concentration resulted in a significant increase in oviposition deterrency as well as a considerable reduction in the egg hatching percentage. These results suggest that Z. clinopodioides oil could be a potential candidate as a fumigant for managing E. kuehniella in stored products.

Resilience of soil microbial and nematode communities after biofumigant treatment with defatted seed meals

The use of alternative biocidal compounds to replace chemical pesticides after the Directive 2009/128/EC has raised renewed interest in the biofumigation technique. In particular, the defatted seed meals (DSM) derived from Brassicaceae plant tissues with high glucosinolate content represent an efficient practice to control soil-born plant pathogens and pests that can be applied in synergy to catch crop green manures. For a wider and safer application of this technique, the impacts on non-target soil microorganisms and free-living nematodes have to be investigated in more depth. In this pot-scale experiment a naturally nematode-infected soil was amended with a glucosinolate-containing DSM from Brassica carinata, a non-glucosinolate-containing DSM from sunflower and the metam-sodium fumigant. Tomato plants were transplanted and checked for the presence of pests and/or pathogens and plant vigour. The response of soil microbial communities was assessed by PCR-DGGE analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal 18S rRNA genes, whereas nematode indices were applied to assess their community structure 0, 10, 32 and 62 days after the treatments. Significant shifts were observed among both bacterial and fungal communities, whereas various changes of nematode communities occurred depending on the nematode family. Similar changes initially occurred in both bacterial and fungal community structure in response to DSM and VAP amendments, but after 62 days fungal communities were more strongly shaped by VAP fumigation than bacteria. The non-biofumigant SUN treatment added organic matter into the soil inducing significant changes in microbial communities, but it was not effective against Meloidogyne incognita root infestation. Although the free-living nematode structure was negatively influenced by all treatments, B. carinata DMS proved the best compromise between efficiency to control M. incognita and environmental impact. These results confirmed the interesting potential of biofumigant DSM amendments as alternatives to chemical fumigants for a more environment-friendly control of some soil-borne diseases.

Emissions of 1,3-Dichloropropene and Chloropicrin after Soil Fumigation under Field Conditions.

Soil fumigation is an important agronomic practice in the production of many high-value vegetable and fruit crops, but the use of chemical fumigants can lead to excessive atmospheric emissions. A large-scale (2.9 ha) field experiment was conducted to obtain volatilization and cumulative emission rates for two commonly used soil fumigants under typical agronomic practices: 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and chloropicrin. The aerodynamic method and the indirect back-calculation method using ISCST3 and CALPUFF dispersion models were used to estimate flux loss from the treated field. Over the course of the experiment, the daily peak volatilization rates ranged from 12 to 30 μg m(-2) s(-1) for 1,3-D and from 0.7 to 2.6 μg m(-2) s(-1) for chloropicrin. Depending on the method used for quantification, total emissions of 1,3-D and chloropicrin, respectively, ranged from 16 to 35% and from 0.3 to 1.3% of the applied fumigant. A soil incubation study showed that the low volatilization rates measured for chloropicrin were due to particularly high soil degradation rates observed at this field site. Understanding and quantifying fumigant emissions from agricultural soil will help in developing best management practices to reduce emission losses, reducing adverse impacts to human and ecosystem health, and providing inputs for conducting risk assessments.

Performance of controlled atmosphere/heating block systems for assessing insect thermotolerance

Heated controlled atmosphere (CA) treatments have potential as alternatives to chemical fumigation for disinfesting postharvest fresh and stored products. To determine accurately the minimal thermal requirements to kill target insects over a wide range of temperatures and CA conditions, it is desirable to develop a model system to assess quickly the target insect thermotolerance. This study evaluated the gas tightness of the new controlled atmosphere/heating block system (CA–HBS) and the stability of gas concentrations, and determined temperature variations in the treatment chamber with and without added gas and under different gas channel designs and heating rates. The results showed that the new CA–HBS had a relatively constant leakage rate and kept O2 and CO2 concentration variations to within ±0.067% and ±0.167% at three set points (1% O2:15% CO2, 2% O2:17% CO2, and 2% O2:20% CO2), resulting in relatively stable gas compositions. With the long gas channel design, temperature variations in the treatment chamber were not influenced by the addition of gas or by heating rates. The performance of the CA–HBS indicated that this model system could be used for rapid assessment of pest thermotolerance.

Tolerance of Sitophilus zeamais (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to heated controlled atmosphere treatments

Combination heat and controlled atmosphere (CA) postharvest phytosanitary treatments are environmentally friendly alternatives to chemical fumigants. A controlled atmosphere/heating block system (CA-HBS) was used to rapidly assess tolerances of adult maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, both under regular air (RA) and CA (1% O2 and 15% CO2) conditions. In the RA treatment, thermal death kinetics for S. zeamais adults were determined at temperatures between 46 °C and 52 °C at a heating rate of 5 °C/min. The results showed that thermal death curves of S. zeamais adults followed a 0th-order kinetic reaction model. The required holding times for achieving 100% mortality were 165, 40, 14, and 4 min at 46, 48, 50 and 52 °C, respectively. The activation energy for killing S. zeamais adults was 526.7 kJ/mol. The effects of CA at various temperature-time combinations and heating rates on insect mortality were evaluated. The mortality of S. zeamais adults was higher under CA treatment than in the heat treatment alone. The slowest heating rate (0.1 °C/min) achieved the highest insect mortality in CA treatments but lowest mortality in RA treatments. The information obtained from the CA-HBS can be used to develop combination heat and CA treatments against S. zeamais.

Thermal death kinetics of fifth-instar Corcyras cephalonica (Lepidoptera: Galleriidae).

The infestation of rice moth, Corcyras cephalonica (Lepidoptera: Galleriidae), causes severe losses in postharvest walnuts. Heat has been studied as a phytosanitary treatment to replace chemical fumigation for controlling this pest. Information on kinetics for thermal mortality of C. cephalonica is needed for developing effective postharvest phytosanitary thermal treatments of walnuts. Thermal death kinetics of fifth-instar C. cephalonica were investigated at temperatures between 44°C and 50°C at a heating rate of 5°C min−1 using a heating block system. The results showed that thermal-death curves for C. cephalonica larvae followed a 0 order of kinetic reaction. The time to reach 100% mortality decreased with increasing temperature from 150 min at 44°C to 2.5 min at 50°C. The activation energy for controlling C. cephalonica was 466–592 kJ/mol, and the z value obtained from the thermal death time curve was 3.3°C. This kinetic model prediction could be useful in designing the thermal treatment protocol for controlling C. cephalonica in walnuts.

Developing radio frequency technology for postharvest insect control in milled rice

Since methyl bromide fumigation has an adverse effect on human health and environment, it is urgently needed for developing a non-chemical method to replace chemical fumigation for disinfesting milled rice. The purpose of this research was to study possible applications of radio frequency (RF) energy for disinfesting milled rice without affecting product quality. A pilot-scale, 27.12 MHz, 6 kW RF system was used to study RF heating uniformity and develop a treatment protocol for achieving 100% insect mortality and finally evaluating quality attributes in RF treated milled rice during storage. The results showed that the heating time needed only 4.3 min to heat the 3.9 kg milled rice from 25 °C to 50 °C using RF energy, but 480 min for milled rice to reach 48 °C using hot air at 50 °C. After comparing three selected electrode gaps, an appropriate gap of 11 cm was obtained to achieve the heating rate of 5.8 °C/min for further heating uniformity tests. An RF treatment protocol was finally developed to combine 1.0 kW RF power with a forced hot air heating at 50 °C, movement of the conveyor with the speed of 12.4 m/h, two mixings, and holding at 50 °C hot air for 5 min, followed by forced room air cooling through single-layer (2 cm thick) samples. There were no significant differences in quality parameters (moisture, protein, fat, starch, hardness, and color) between RF treatments and untreated controls during storage (P > 0.05). Therefore, RF treatments may provide a practical, effective and environmentally friendly method for disinfesting milled rice.

Comparison of life history and genetic properties of cowpea bruchid strains and their response to hypoxia

The cowpea bruchid (Callosobruchus maculatus) is the most important storage pest of grain legumes and comprises geographically distinct strains. Storage under a modified atmosphere with decreased O2 content represents an alternative to chemical fumigants for pest control of stored grains. In this study, we compared reproduction, development and survival, as well as genome size of bruchid strains from South India (SI), Burkina Faso (BF), Niger (CmNnC) and the United States (OH), reared on mung bean (Vigna radiata). Fecundity and egg-to-adult duration varied significantly among these strains. Notably, strain BF had the highest fecundity, and strain SI displayed the fastest development whereas strain OH was the slowest. Differences in adult lifespan among strains were only detected in unmated but not in the mated group. Genome size of SI females was significantly larger than that of OH females, and for all four strains, the female genomes were larger than those of their corresponding males. Furthermore, we studied effects of exposure to 1% O2+99% N2 on strains SI and BF. Mortality caused by hypoxia was influenced by not only developmental stage but also by insect strain. Eggs were most sensitive, particularly at the early stage, whereas the 3rd and 4th instar larvae were most tolerant and could survive up to 15days of low O2. Strain SI was slightly more resistant than BF in egg and larval stages. Proteolytic activity prior to, during and after hypoxia treatment revealed remarkable metabolic plasticity of cowpea bruchids in response to modified atmosphere.

DISEÑO Y CONSTRUCCIÓN DE UN EQUIPO TIPO REMOLQUE PARADESINFECCIÓN EN ESTÁTICO CON CALOR DE SUSTRATOS AGRÍCOLAS

This research was performed in the Agricultural Department of Mechanical Engineering from the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo in the year 2006. Currently the eradication of plant pathogens is done with chemical fumigants. The widespread use of chemical methods has caused environmental problems, health and sustainability of agricultural soils and substrates. The use of physical methods, mainly in greenhouses, for this purpose appears to be a good alternative as it is intended to eliminate any chemical residue from the application. This study was designed and built a trailer type equipment for disinfection in static agricultural soils with steam-aereated and heated air. For its construction was used stainless steel sheet and PTR, the heat and temperature control was automated. For a sandy loam soil: steam-aereated the time required to increase the temperature of 21 °C C to 71 °C C was 15 minutes and hot air was 3.5 hours. Wiht both procedures keeping the temperature between 71-72 °C indefinitely. With steam-aerated water has a productivity of 487.2 L•h-1, and with hot air from 121.8 L•h-1.

Synergistic Effect of Dazomet Soil Fumigation and Clonostachys rosea Against Cucumber Fusarium Wilt.

Soil fumigation and biological control are two control measures frequently used against soilborne diseases. In this study, the chemical fumigant dazomet was applied in combination with the biocontrol agent (BCA) Clonostachys rosea 67-1 to combat cucumber wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum KW2-1. When the mycoparasite C. rosea 67-1 was applied after dazomet fumigation, disease control reached 100%, compared with 88.1 and 69.8% for dazomet and 67-1 agent, respectively, applied alone, indicating a synergistic effect of dazomet and C. rosea in combating cucumber Fusarium wilt based on analysis of Bliss Independence. To understand the synergistic mechanism, the effects of chemical fumigation on the colonization potential and activity of F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum, and the interaction between the BCA and the pathogen were investigated. The results showed that growth of the pathogen decreased with increasing dazomet concentration subsequent to fumigation. When exposed to dazomet at 100 ppm, the fungal sporulation rate decreased by 94.4%. Severe damage was observed in fumigated isolates using scanning electron microscopy. In the greenhouse, disease incidence of cucumber caused by fumigated F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum significantly decreased. Whereas germination of C. rosea 67-1 spores increased by >sixfold in fumigated soil, and its ability to parasitize fumigated F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum significantly increased (P = 0.014).

Evaluation of a Mobile Steam Applicator for Soil Disinfestation in California Strawberry

Steam-disinfestation of soil as an alternative to chemical fumigation was investigated in both research and commercial strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa Duch.) production field trials at four sites over 2 years (2011–13) using new prototype commercial application equipment: a tractor-drawn device that physically mixed the steam with the soil as it passed through the shaped planting beds. Results included significant suppression of weeds and soilborne pathogens equal to commercial chemigation of chloropicrin with 1,3-dichloropropene (Pic-Clor 60). Also, the combination of steam treatment with soil amendments of mustard seed meal (MSM; two of four trials included treatment), a fertilizer and source of additional organic matter, showed very favorable strawberry production in terms of yield as well as weed and pathogen control. Soil nitrogen-containing ions were monitored at two of the sites and the MSM treatment significantly elevated available soil nitrates by the time of transplanting as did the steam treatment alone, but only significantly at one of the sites.

Evaluation of biosolarization for the control of charcoal rot disease (Macrophomina phaseolina) in strawberry

Macrophomina phaseolina, the causal agent of charcoal rot, is a primarily soil-borne pathogen. Charcoal rot has become increasingly troublesome in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) in Spain, where it was reported for the first time in 2006, and worldwide. After the phase out of methyl bromide, some authors have associated the changes in the fumigation products used and methods of applying them prior to planting strawberries with the establishment of M. phaseolina. Moreover, in developed countries, the majority of useful chemical alternatives are futureless, because of regulatory restrictions. Among the non-chemical alternatives for strawberry fruit production is soil biosolarization, a new technique that combines soil biofumigation and soil solarization. In this study, we compared the efficacy of several biosolarization treatments to control M. phaseolina for three successive seasons in a non-chemical treated field near Moguer, Huelva (southwestern Spain). The influence of these treatments on M. phaseolina soil population, charcoal rot development, and strawberry yield was assessed each year. Soil was biofumigated by amendment of fresh chicken manure at 12,500 kg/ha with or without Trichoderma spp (TUSAL®) at 3.5 kg/ha; fresh chicken manure at 25,000 kg/ha; Brassica spp. pellets (BIOFENCE®) at 2000 kg/ha and 15,000 kg/ha; dried olive pomace at 12,500 kg/ha or sugar beet vinasse at 15,000 kg/ha. Soil was then solarized for 30 days by covering with a clear plastic mulch. A control that received fermented manure remained uncovered. The treatments reduced or stabilized M. phaseolina sclerotia populations in soil compared to the untreated control. Treatments which combined biosolarization with chicken manure at 25,000 kg/ha or sugar beet vinasse at 15,000 kg/ha significantly reduced the incidence of charcoal rot compared to the untreated control. Furthermore, yields obtained by amendment with fresh chicken manure (59,319–89,421 kg/ha) were also similar to the yields previously reported for the standard chemical fumigation with 1,3-dichloropropene:chloropicrin. Therefore, biosolarization with fresh chicken manure could be a promising and sustainable option for strawberry crops grown in warm temperate climate areas.

Thermal fumigation provides a simple and effective solution for sanitizing cargo from invasive snakes

The Brown Treesnake (Boiga irregularis )i s invasive in Guam and threatens to be dispersed by military and civilian transportation activities to other islands in the Pacific, where it could be expected to inflict similar dam- ages. Prevention of inadvertent export of snakes in cargo and vehicles currently relies on trained canine detection teams, which are expensive to use and unable to detect all snakes. Hence, there has long been interest in developing effective and cheaper means of fumigating cargo to remove snakes. A companion study has shown that chemical fumigation is unlikely to be readily developed into a practical tool. Here, we demonstrate that these snakes are readily induced to quit test refugia by application of streams of heated air. Many parameters affect snake response times, but we find that application of relatively low temperatures (48-52 C) at moderate delivery rates (3.4 m 3 /min) is sufficient to induce exit of these snakes within 5 min. Development of a portable heat-delivery system based on these findings has great potential to ensure snakes do not unintentionally stow away to other locations in cargo, munitions, vehicles, or airplane wheelwells. Application of such technology can be done on Guam as well as at locations receiving cargo or vehicles from that source, providing an additional layer of security in ensuring these snakes do not colonize additional locations outside their native range.

Elucidating the molecular responses of apple rootstock resistant to ARD pathogens: challenges and opportunities for development of genomics-assisted breeding tools.

Apple replant disease (ARD) is a major limitation to the establishment of economically viable orchards on replant sites due to the buildup and long-term survival of pathogen inoculum. Several soilborne necrotrophic fungi and oomycetes are primarily responsible for ARD, and symptoms range from serious inhibition of growth to the death of young trees. Chemical fumigation has been the primary method used for control of ARD, and manipulating soil microbial ecology to reduce pathogen density and aggressiveness is being investigated. To date, innate resistance of apple rootstocks as a means to control this disease has not been carefully explored, partly due to the complex etiology and the difficulty in phenotyping the disease resistance. Molecular defense responses of plant roots to soilborne necrotrophic pathogens are largely elusive, although considerable progress has been achieved using foliar disease systems. Plant defense responses to necrotrophic pathogens consist of several interacting modules and operate as a network. Upon pathogen detection by plants, cellular signals such as the oscillation of Ca2+ concentration, reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst and protein kinase activity, lead to plant hormone biosynthesis and signaling. Jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene (ET) are known to be fundamental to the induction and regulation of defense mechanisms toward invading necrotrophic pathogens. Complicated hormone crosstalk modulates the fine-tuning of transcriptional reprogramming and metabolic redirection, resulting in production of antimicrobial metabolites, enzyme inhibitors and cell wall refortification to restrict further pathogenesis. Transcriptome profiling of apple roots in response to inoculation with Pythium ultimum demonstrated that there is a high degree of conservation regarding the molecular framework of defense responses compared with those observed with foliar tissues. It is conceivable that the timing and intensity of genotype-specific defense responses may lead to different outcomes between rootstocks in response to invasion by necrotrophic pathogens. Elucidation of host defense mechanisms is critical in developing molecular tools for genomics-assisted breeding of resistant apple rootstocks. Due to their perennial nature, use of resistant rootstocks as a component for disease management might offer a durable and cost-effective benefit to tree performance than the standard practice of soil fumigation for control of ARD.

ALTERNATIVES TO STRAWBERRY METHYL BROMIDE FUMIGATION IN SICILY

A four-year trial was carried out in a district of Marsala, Sicily, to determine the best pre-plant soil disinfestation method using chloropicrin + 1,3-D, metam-sodium, and the eco-sustainable techniques of solarisation and biofumigation, the treatments being applied with and without organic matter. The results showed that soil solarisation with green polythene film could potentially be the best ecological alternative to chemical fumigation for local strawberry cultivation.

Development of thermal treatment protocol for disinfesting chestnuts using radio frequency energy

Methyl bromide fumigation, widely used for disinfesting chestnuts, will be banned in developing countries by 2015 under Montreal Protocol due to its adverse effects on human health and environment. The purpose of this research was to study possible applications of radio frequency (RF) heating for disinfestations of chestnuts to replace chemical fumigation. A 6kW, 27MHz free-running oscillator RF system was used to determine the effect of a developed RF treatment protocol on quality of chestnuts. The results showed that the heating time needed only 5.4min to heat the 2.5kg chestnuts from 20°C to 55°C using RF energy, and 170min for chestnuts to reach 52.5°C using hot air at 55°C and 1.6m/s. Based on the heating uniformity studies, a RF treatment protocol was finally developed to combine 0.6kW RF powers with a forced hot air at 55°C, movement of the conveyor, mixing twice, and holding at 55°C hot air for 5min, followed by forced room air cooling through single-layer samples. Quality of chestnuts was not affected by the RF treatments because no significant differences in moisture, protein, fat, soluble sugar, firmness, and color were observed between RF treatments and untreated controls after 8 days at 35°C, simulating one year of storage at 4°C. The RF treatments may provide a rapid and environmentally friendly method to replace chemical fumigation for disinfesting chestnuts.

Effects of soil disinfection on health status, growth and yield of strawberry stock plants

Two strawberry nursery field trials comparing soil disinfection with different fumigants (metam sodium, dazomet, chloropicrin, chloropicrin +1,3D) and a steaming system exploiting the exothermic reaction between steam and CaO (Bioflash System™) were conducted in 2010–2012 to evaluate the effect of treatments on Verticillium dahliae Kleb. inhabiting the soil, and on plant health, growth and yield of strawberry daughter plants. Chemical fumigants and the Bioflash System™ decreased the number of V. dahliae colonies in the soil, which corresponded to reduced incidence of Verticillium wilt (efficacy about 80%). The use of chemical fumigants had a positive impact on the size of the mother plants. The surface area covered by plants grown on the treated plots was 1.1–1.7 times larger than plants grown on non-fumigated control plots. The number of runners, as well as daughter plants, produced from plants grown on plots treated with all chemical fumigants was significantly higher than in the non-fumigated control or in the plots treated with the Bioflash System™. The disinfection treatments significantly increased the yield of marketable daughter plants, approximately 1.5–3 times higher in comparison to plants grown on control plots. Steam disinfection with the Bioflash System™ was the least effective treatment in this respect. The differences in marketable plants yield among the chemical fumigants significantly affected the net marginal return and the return on investment of the crop. In this respect, the steam disinfection was economically efficient only in one season. The efficacy in controlling Verticillium wilt even with low doses of metam sodium and dazomet and their influence on yield and quality of daughter plants is confirming the feasibility of these fumigants for strawberry nursery management.

BIOINTENSIVE SAFE STORAGE METHODS FOR PULSES: REVIEW

ABSTRACT Pulses are an important source of protein in the Indian diet. Pulses are least preferred by farmers because of high risk and less remunerative than cereals; consequently, the production of the pulses is sufficiently low. To meet the demand of pulses, India is at present importing about 3 million tons. Pulse production systems including pre harvest and post harvest techniques. These techniques aremechanized in developed countries but developing countries still employ traditional techniques which incur losses of about 20–25% post-harvest losses. Drying and conditioning of pulses aremostly done by artificial methods; however, the most common drying method for pulses in the worldis open sun drying, particularly at farm level. Drying of pulses is essential because the moisturecontent at the time of harvesting is on the higher side (18–25%) and for safe storage, the optimummoisture content is in the range of 9–12% to avoid production of mycotoxins. Again storage of pulses is a challenging one since pulses are more sensitive to storage pest viz., bruchids and caneasily be attacked by them. Hence safe storage conditions like controlled atmosphere storage (CAS) must be provided for the pulses until they are being consumed. CAS offer a safe and environmentallybenign alternative to the use of conventional residue-producing chemical fumigants for controllinginsect pests that attack stored grain. Air tight containers or bins offer great protection in controllingbruchids. Hermetic storage (HS) technology has emerged as a significant alternative to other methods of storage that protect commodities from insects and molds. HS is based on the principle of generation of an oxygen-depleted, carbon dioxide-enriched interstitial atmosphere caused by therespiration of the living organisms in the ecological system of a sealed storage. Bag storage is acommon method in India. Pulses can also be stored either in metal bins, silo bags of various capacities.