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Integrated Management and Impact of Stored-Product Pests

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A topical collection in Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This collection belongs to the section "Insect Pest and Vector Management".

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Editors

Dr. Deanna S. Scheff

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Collection Editor

USDA Agricultural Research Service, Washington, DC 20250, USA
Interests: stored-product pests; integrated pest management; food safety and security; grain storage; structural pest management; invasive species; reduce risk insecticides; resistance management; insecticide incorporated packaging

Dr. Georgina V. Bingham

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor

Leading the Stored Product Pest Laboratory, Department of Entomology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
Interests: stored-product pest; integrated pest management; food security; food losses and waste; vectors; emerging zoonotic disease; agriculture; entomology

Dr. Alison R. Gerken

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor

USDA Agricultural Research Service, Washington, DC 20250, USA
Interests: stored-product pest; pest management; population growth modeling; integrated pest management; insect behavior; grain storage

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food security is an issue that will impact everyone by 2050, when it is projected there will be a global crisis if continued gains through improved food and agricultural production are not achieved. This is especially problematic given that COVID-19 has had a further and profound impact on hunger and food security, triggered by disruptions in food supply chains, income losses, widening social inequities, an altered food system, and price hikes. Between 720 and 811 million people in the world faced hunger in 2020, an increase of as many as 161 million from 2019. Feeding the projected 10 billion people in 2050 poses a critical threat. One third of food commodities produced are lost or wasted post-harvest each year; therefore, understanding the complex interrelated factors that lead to severe crop loss throughout the post-harvest food value chain—farm to fork—is critical. Increasing crop production prior to harvest usually requires significantly more economic and time investment, particularly for producers, than targeted strategies for reducing losses post-harvest. The monetary losses from post-harvest product losses are compounded by the fact that substantial investment in production, processing, and transportation have already been made and cannot be recouped. Thus, improved protection of post-harvest production protects labor and capital investments already made, in addition to contributing to food security. Post-harvest loss can occur from a variety of sources, including insect and animal pests. In addition, mycotoxin contamination is a long-standing global threat to food safety and food security. Aflatoxin is one type of mycotoxin produced by fungi, primarily Aspergillus flavus, often found in maize and peanuts. It is a serious health concern, caused in part by improper crop storage. A climate-smart food systems approach to food security and nutrition if we avoid a global crisis by 2050.

Integrated pest management (IPM) is a management plan where multiple approaches to managing pests compose a multi-pronged approach to combatting post-harvest product loss. Management plans can consist of preventative methods such as sanitation and long-lasting insecticide-treated netting or insecticide-impregnated packaging, pheromone baited trapping systems, sticky traps, fumigations, or aerosol sprays, and many more methods that account for differences in timing and spatial variation of insect populations. This Topical Collection will highlight research conducted to understand how different IPM technologies may relate to one another and may each play a role in managing pests within post-harvest systems.

Dr. Deanna S. Scheff
Dr. Georgina V. Bingham
Dr. Alison R. Gerken
Collection Editors

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Keywords

stored-product pest
integrated pest management
food security and nutrition
food losses and waste
invasive species
mycotoxins
value chain
smallholders
digital platforms

Published Papers (10 papers)

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2024

Jump to: 2023, 2022

13 pages, 504 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Combination Insecticide Treatments with Methoprene and Pyrethrin for Control of Khapra Beetle Larvae on Different Commodities

by Deanna S. Scheff, Frank H. Arthur, Michael J. Domingue and Scott W. Myers

Insects 2024, 15(1), 77; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15010077 - 22 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1000

Abstract

Trogoderma granarium Everts, the khapra beetle, is a serious pest of stored products throughout the world. Larvae pose a significant threat to stored products because they feed on >100 different commodities, possess the ability to enter facultative diapause, and are difficult to detect. Control methods for T. granarium include fumigation, contact insecticides, trapping, and insecticide-incorporated packaging. The objective of this study was to determine the residual efficacy of two insecticide formulations (methoprene + deltamethrin + piperonyl butoxide synergist Gravista^® and methoprene + deltamethrin, DiaconIGR^®Plus). These insecticides were evaluated on three stored product commodities, corn, wheat, and brown rice, by exposing T. granarium larvae during a 12-month testing period. Both formulations significantly reduced adult emergence on corn and wheat for 12 months and on brown rice for up to 6 months. Adult emergence was highest at month 12 for corn (8.41%), and brown rice (85.88%), and month 9 for wheat (39.52%), treated with DiaconIGR^®Plus or Gravista^®, respectively. A biological index used to measure the development of exposed larvae on the treated grain from the larval stage (low values) to adult emergence (high values) was lower (fewer adults) on corn and wheat compared to controls. Despite differences in formulations, each of these grain protectants could be utilized by stored commodity managers to protect commodities during storage and transportation for T. granarium when and if this pest is detected at USA ports of entry. Full article

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2023

Jump to: 2024, 2022

15 pages, 1498 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Contact Efficacy of Two Amorphous Silica Powders against the Red Flour Beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

by Selladurai Manivannan and Bhadriraju Subramanyam

Insects 2023, 14(11), 833; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14110833 - 24 Oct 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1036

Abstract

The contact efficacy of two amorphous silica powders 1 and 2 procured from Imery’s chemicals, Lompoc, CA, USA, were evaluated against the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst). The efficacy of the silica two powders was evaluated by exposing 10 adults of T. castaneum to twelve different concentrations of silica powder 1 and 2 for 12, 24, 36, and 48 h. Mortality assessments were made after 14 d, and data on adult progeny production were recorded at 42 d. Complete mortality of T. castaneum was observed when adults were exposed for 36 h to concentrations of 1.5 to 5 g/m² of silica powder 1. Conversely, in tests with silica powder 2, complete mortality was only achieved when adults were exposed for 48 h to concentrations ranging from 0.75 to 5 g/m². Silica powder 1 exhibited greater efficacy in inhibiting adult progeny production in T. castaneum, particularly at a concentration of 2.0 g/m² after 24 h exposure. Overall, silica powder 1 displayed superior performance in terms of adult mortality and the suppression of T. castaneum adult progeny production. This advantage can be attributed to the smaller particle size of silica powder 1 when compared to silica powder 2. Full article

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17 pages, 1566 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Novel Approach for a Controlled Delivery of Essential Oils during Long-Term Maize Storage: Clove Bud and Pennyroyal Oils Efficacy to Control Sitophilus zeamais, Reducing Grain Damage and Post-Harvest Losses

by Pedro A. S. Sousa, Joana Neto, Joana V. Barbosa, Joana Peres, Ana Magro, Graça Barros, José M. Sousa, Fernão D. Magalhães, António Mexia, Ana A. R. M. Aguiar and Margarida M. S. M. Bastos

Insects 2023, 14(4), 366; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14040366 - 07 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1676

Abstract

Maize grains represent a significant contribution for assuring food safety all over the globe. Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), also known as the maize weevil, is one of the most destructive pests in stored maize, causing qualitative and quantitative losses. To control S. zeamais populations in maize storage sites, synthetical chemical insecticides are applied. However, these are often used wastefully, have environmental implications, and can induce the development of resistant populations. In this work, the insecticidal and grain protecting efficacy of an innovative macro-capsule delivery device, loaded with essential oils from Clove bud and Pennyroyal, as well as their combined solutions, was tested against naturally S. zeamais-infested maize grains. The blend of both compounds incorporated in a controlled release device reduced losses by more than 45% over a long storage period of twenty weeks, diminishing the survivability of maize weevils by over 90%. The usage of the blend at a concentration of

370 μ L \cdot L_{air}^{- 1}

with an antioxidant showed the best results, however, by halving the concentration

(185 μ L \cdot L_{air}^{- 1})

, a significant control of S. zeamais populations was still achieved. Full article

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12 pages, 278 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Hermetic Storage Bags for the Preservation of Yellow Maize in Poultry Farms in Dormaa Ahenkro, Ghana

by Bismark Opoku, Enoch Adjei Osekre, George Opit, Augustine Bosomtwe and Georgina V. Bingham

Insects 2023, 14(2), 141; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14020141 - 31 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1728

Abstract

Using low-quality maize, resulting from insect pests and fungal attack, for formulating feed reduces chicken performance. This study evaluated the effectiveness of hermetic storage bags to keep insect pest and mycotoxin levels in check in yellow maize. The study was conducted in storehouses at three poultry farms in Dormaa Ahenkro, Bono Region, Ghana. The experiment was set up in a Randomized Complete Block Design with ZeroFly® Hermetic (ZFH), Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS), and Polypropylene (PP) bags as treatments. In each treatment, twelve 50 kg samples of untreated maize were each put in 100 kg capacity bags. Two bags in each treatment were destructively sampled monthly for 6 months. The number of insects was significantly higher in the PP bag (161.00 ± 4.25), compared to the PICS and ZFH bags: 7.00 ± 0.29 and 4.50 ± 0.76, respectively. The PICS and ZFH bags had less insect damage and lower weight loss than the PP bags. Aflatoxin and fumonisin levels were below the recommended safe thresholds of 15 ppb and 4 ppm, respectively, in all the bags. With the exception of ash, proximate analyses were higher for all variables in the PICS and ZFH bags. The study showed that PICS and ZFH bags conserved maize quality better than the PP bag. Full article

13 pages, 1901 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

FESNet: Frequency-Enhanced Saliency Detection Network for Grain Pest Segmentation

by Junwei Yu, Fupin Zhai, Nan Liu, Yi Shen and Quan Pan

Insects 2023, 14(2), 99; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14020099 - 17 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1395

Abstract

As insect infestation is the leading factor accounting for nutritive and economic losses in stored grains, it is important to detect the presence and number of insects for the sake of taking proper control measures. Inspired by the human visual attention mechanism, we propose a U-net-like frequency-enhanced saliency (FESNet) detection model, resulting in the pixelwise segmentation of grain pests. The frequency clues, as well as the spatial information, are leveraged to enhance the detection performance of small insects from the cluttered grain background. Firstly, we collect a dedicated dataset, GrainPest, with pixel-level annotation after analyzing the image attributes of the existing salient object detection datasets. Secondly, we design a FESNet with the discrete wavelet transformation (DWT) and the discrete cosine transformation (DCT), both involved in the traditional convolution layers. As current salient object detection models will reduce the spatial information with pooling operations in the sequence of encoding stages, a special branch of the discrete wavelet transformation (DWT) is connected to the higher stages to capture accurate spatial information for saliency detection. Then, we introduce the discrete cosine transform (DCT) into the backbone bottlenecks to enhance the channel attention with low-frequency information. Moreover, we also propose a new receptive field block (NRFB) to enlarge the receptive fields by aggregating three atrous convolution features. Finally, in the phase of decoding, we use the high-frequency information and aggregated features together to restore the saliency map. Extensive experiments and ablation studies on our dataset, GrainPest, and open dataset, Salient Objects in Clutter (SOC), demonstrate that the proposed model performs favorably against the state-of-the-art model. Full article

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11 pages, 592 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Entomopathogenic Action of Wild Fungal Strains against Stored Product Beetle Pests

by Spiridon Mantzoukas, Ioannis Lagogiannis, Foteini Kitsiou and Panagiotis A. Eliopoulos

Insects 2023, 14(1), 91; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14010091 - 14 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1786

Abstract

There is ample evidence that entomopathogenic fungi can be used as alternative biological control agents for the management of insect pests in storage facilities. As the market demands more environmentally friendly methods and chemical insecticides become increasingly obsolete, more studies are being conducted to evaluate new strains of entomopathogenic fungi for their efficacy in storage facilities. In this context, we tested ten species of fungi isolated from soil, belonging to the genera Cladosporium, Condenascus, Lecanicillium, and Penicillium, for their long-term effects on economically important beetle species. Whole wheat was directly sprayed with a conidial suspension of 10⁸ spores/Ml of each of the tested fungi and then adults of Sitophilus granarius, S. oryzae, S. zeamais, Rhyzopertha dominica, and Trogoderma granarium were placed on the sprayed medium to study the mortality effects. Significantly higher mortality than the control was observed in all treatments. The lowest LT₅₀ (9.164 days) was observed in T. granarium infected with Penicillium goetzii. The isolate with the strongest results was L. dimorphum, which recorded remarkably low LT₅₀ values in S. oryzae (~11 days), R. dominica (~12 days), T. granarium (~10 days), and S. granarius (~13 days). However, for S. zeamais, it was more than 16 days. Our results confirm the existing literature on the efficacy of EPF on storage beetles, suggest the possible virulence of wild untested strains, and also highlight the importance of EPF specificity. Full article

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2022

Jump to: 2024, 2023

14 pages, 825 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Phosphine Resistance in Populations of Sitophilus oryzae, Oryzaephilus surinamensis and Rhyzopertha dominica in the Czech Republic

by Radek Aulicky, Vaclav Stejskal, Barbora Frydova and Christos Athanassiou

Insects 2022, 13(12), 1162; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13121162 - 16 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1657

Abstract

Phosphine is globally the most widely adopted fumigant for the control of storage pests. Recently, an increase in the frequency of stored-product pest resistance has been observed with significant geographical and interspecific variations. In this context, there are available data for the occurrence of resistant populations from America, Asia, Africa, and Australia, but there are few data in the case of Europe. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate phosphine efficacy in important beetle pests of stored products, i.e., Sitophilus oryzae (L.), Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.), and Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) sampled from the Czech Republic, using a rapid diagnostic test that is based on the speed to knockdown after exposure. Apart from the standard laboratory populations, which were used as the controls, we tested 56 field populations of these three species, collected in Czech farm grain stores. The survey revealed that 57.1% of the tested field populations were classified as phosphine-susceptible, based on the knockdown method used. However, profound variations among species and populations were recorded. The species with the highest percentage of resistant populations was R. dominica (71.4% of the populations; resistance coefficient 0.5–4.1), followed by S. oryzae (57.1% of the populations; resistance coefficient 0.8–6.9), and O. surinamensis (9.5% of the populations; resistance coefficient 0.5–2.9). Regarding the intra-population variability in response to phosphine (slope of the knockdown time regression), the laboratory and slightly resistant populations of all species were homogenous, whereas the most resistant populations were strongly heterogeneous. Our data show that the occurrence of resistance in the Czech Republic is relatively widespread and covers a wide range of species, necessitating the need for the adoption of an action plan for resistance mitigation. Full article

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12 pages, 931 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Laboratory Evaluation of Storage Bags for Infestations in Wheat Caused by Rhyzopertha dominica F. (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and Trogoderma granarium Everts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) and Their Control Using Phosphine Fumigation

by Hafiz Waqas Waheed, Muhammad Waqar Hassan, Ghulam Sarwar and Moazzam Jamil

Insects 2022, 13(10), 955; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13100955 - 19 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2893

Abstract

Bag storage of wheat is common in Asian countries, and common types of such bags include jute bags, woven plastic bags, and hermetic plastic bags. In order to assess infestation by two serious pests, namely Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and Trogoderma granarium (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) in these bags, two experiments were performed. In the first experiment, three popular wheat varieties, namely Akbar, Dilkash, and Bakhar star were filled in above-mentioned miniature-size bags which were then placed in jars with three replicates per bag type and variety. Forty insects (adults for R. dominica and larvae for T. granarium) were released in the center of the jars for a period of 30 d in two different setups for both species. Data were recorded twice: after 15 d and 30 d. Results showed insects entered the jute bags only (made invasions due to its loose fibers and openings). Inside the bags, R. dominica caused more weight loss and live insects in Dilkash and Akbar varieties, while T. granarium preferred Bakhar star and Dilkash compared with their third variety. In the second experiment, only two bags, namely woven plastic bags and hermetic plastic bags filled with one variety, were tested to check damage (penetrations because no openings are present in these bags as in jute bags) to the bags. Results showed both species created holes in woven plastic bags but not in hermetic plastic bags. These results showed hermetic plastic bags remained safe from external infestation compared with the other two bags. Sometimes if insects are already present in the grains inside the bags, fumigation is needed from outside to kill the pests inside. To evaluate this, all three bags were filled with a wheat variety and were also infested with both insect species and placed in a fumigation container with nine replicates per bag type. A phosphine tablet (3.0 g) wrapped in muslin cloth was placed in a container which was then sealed, and the fumigation-induced mortality after 24 h was recorded. Results showed mortality was >95% to 100% in woven and jute bags, respectively, while mortality in hermetic plastic bags remained very low (<3%). These results revealed the least fumigant gas permeation in hermetic plastic bags compared with jute and woven plastic bags. Results of all three experiments demand immediate alteration in creation of all three bags to curtail infestation from outside (jute and woven plastic bags) as well as to generate maximum fumigation efficacy when the source of infestation is with the grains (hermetic bags). Full article

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10 pages, 1008 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Efficacy of Dust and Wettable Powder Formulation of Diatomaceous Earth (Detech^®) in the Control of Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) (Acari: Acaridae)

by Nihal Kılıç

Insects 2022, 13(10), 857; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13100857 - 20 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2202

Abstract

Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) (Acari: Acaridae) is a cosmopolite mite species commonly in found food and stored products. In this study, the acaricidal activity of two Turkish diatomaceous earth (DE) formulations (Detech^® WP95 and Detech^® Dust) were applied on a concrete surface at five different concentrations (1, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 g/m²) and dead individuals were counted at 11 different time intervals (1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, and 30 h) at a temperature of 25 ± 1 °C and 75 ± 5% relative humidity (RH). Mite mortalities were observed after 6- and 18-hour exposure periods at all concentrations of dust and wettable powder (WP) formulations, respectively. Specifically, 100% mortality for the WP formulation was achieved at the highest concentration of 10 g/m² after 15 h of exposure and after 27 h and 30 h for the lowest concentration. In the case of dust formulation, mortalities were observed after 3 h of exposure at all concentrations except at 1 g/m², while a 100% mortality rate was achieved after 21 h of exposure to all concentrations and after 18 h of exposure for 7.5 g/m² and 10 g/m². This study indicates that both WP and dust formulations of local diatomaceous earth can cause 100% mortality in 24 h on average and can be a promising alternative to conventional chemical acaricides. Full article

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12 pages, 803 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Efficacy of Spinetoram for the Control of Bean Weevil, Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on Different Surfaces

by Özgür Sağlam, Ahmet Çelik, Ali Arda Işıkber, Hüseyin Bozkurt, Maria K. Sakka and Christos G. Athanassiou

Insects 2022, 13(8), 723; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13080723 - 12 Aug 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1396

Abstract

In this study, the contact toxicity of spinetoram on three different surfaces, concrete, ceramic floor tile and laminate flooring, against Acanthocelides obtectus (Say.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) was evaluated in laboratory bioassays. Different concentrations were evaluated ranging from 0.0025 to 0.05 mg AI/cm², against adults of A. obtectus. Adult mortality was measured after 1-, 3-, 5- and 7-day exposure. After 1-day exposure, the mortality was low on all surfaces, ranging from 0 to 27.2%. After 5- and 7-day exposure, spinetoram at concentrations of 0.01 mg/cm² and above achieved 100% or close mortality on concrete and laminate flooring surface, whereas low concentrations (0.0025, 0.005 and 0.0075 mg AI/cm²) resulted in significantly lower mortality levels, ranging from 1.6 to 30.8%, than high concentrations. In the case of ceramic floor tile surface, spinetoram treatments at all tested concentrations did not result in 100% mortality. Significant differences were recorded among the surfaces, depending on concentrations and exposure intervals. After 3-, 5- and 7-day exposure, mortality levels on ceramic floor tile surface were generally higher at low concentrations than those on the concrete and laminate flooring surfaces, whereas those on concrete and laminate flooring surfaces were significantly higher at high concentrations than ceramic floor tile surface. These results indicate that spinetoram at 0.025 and 0.05 mg AI/cm² achieve satisfactory control at relatively short exposures on common types of surfaces and thus can be used as an effective insecticide against A. obtectus. Full article

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Integrated Management and Impact of Stored-Product Pests

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2024

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2023

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2022

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