Abstract

ECO-FRIENDLY APPROACHES FOR MANAGING STORED GRAINS: PREVENTION OF SEASONAL INFESTATION OF INSECT PESTS IN STOREHOUSES: A REVIEW

*Ravi Kant Upadhyay

ABSTRACT

This review details seasonal infestations of stored grains by various insect species, including the red flour beetle, khapra beetle, lesser grain borer, bruchids, Angoumois grain moth, rice moth, sawtoothed grain beetle, and almond moth. Damage was assessed using direct sampling methods in the laboratory after storing food grains in plastic containers for two seasons and for four food grains, identifying nine major pest species. Infestation levels were categorized as low, medium, and high, with different insect feeding classes noted. Safer pest management alternatives to fumigants, such as physical methods like low-pressure, low-temperature treatments and ionizing radiation, are effective against coleopteran and lepidopteran insects. Chemical fumigation with agents like Phosphine, Acrolein, cyanogens, and various pesticides can kill all insect stages, even in crevices. Species-specific control is achieved through pheromone traps, insect growth regulators (IGRs), and entomopathogens. Plant-derived repellents and oviposition inhibitors are presented as safer, biodegradable alternatives to synthetic pesticides with no side effects. This review suggests the use of natural pesticides, which have no side effects and are biodegradable in the natural environment. These are non-residual, non-persistent and less toxic bio-organic pesticides that do not affect the quality of food grains. Therefore, selected biological and non-biological control strategies must be integrated for effective management of stored grain insects.

Keywords: Stored grains, seasonal infestation, insect pests, weight loss, feeding inhibition and oviposition inhibition.