storing grain to reduce insect damage (floyd dowell, planting hope international)

Storing Grain to Reduce Insect Damage(Floyd Dowell, Planting Hope International)

Reducing insect damage means: • more maize to eat and sell• more nutritious maize so your animals

gain more weight• improves food security

We will learn a little about insects, and various storage methods.

I won’t recommend just one way to store grain, but I will discuss good, better, and

best storage methods

Larger Grain Borer

Maize Weevil

Maize Weevil

• One weevil produces about 300 weevils in only 2 months!

• Adult Weevil

Weevil Pupa

• Today – 1 weevil

• 2 months – 300 weevils

• 4 months – up to 90,000 weevils from 1 weevil!!

Infested grain results in:

• Less grain weight – You can easily lose half of your grain to insects!

Seed Coat

Infested grain results in:

• Less grain weight.• Less nutrition – It is less healthy for you!

Infested grain results in:

• Less grain weight.• Less nutrition.• Less sprouting of seeds – Infested seed won’t

make a good crop next year!

Seed Coat

Infested grain results in:

• Less grain weight.• Less nutrition.• Less sprouting of seeds.• Animals eat less infested grain, and gain less

weight.

Infested grain results in:

• Less grain weight.• Less nutrition.• Less sprouting of seeds.• Animals eat less infested grain, and gain less

weight.• Loss of the gift God gave us.

Tips For Preventing Insect Damage• Clean the area before storing to remove

existing insects.

• Don’t feed the insects and rats!

Tips For Preventing Insect Damage

• Clean the area before storing to remove existing insects.

• Treat the area with a pesticide before storing.

Tips For Preventing Insect Damage• Clean the area before storing to remove existing insects.• Treat the area before storing with a pesticide.

• Mix chemical dust with the grain. Buy only sealed containers!

Unsealed Actellic

Sealed ShumbaMuch of this Actellic was missing!

Tips For Preventing Insect Damage

• Clean the area before storing to remove existing insects.• Treat the area before storing with a pesticide.• Mix chemical dust with the grain.

• Fumigate in a closed storage room..

Types of Pesticides• Chemical dusts (Actellic Super, Actellic Golden

Dust, Shumba Super, Stocal Super, Spinosad)• Chemical gas (Phostoxin, Methyl Bromide)• Diatomacious earths (Protect-It, PyriSec, and

DEA-P, Dryacide )

Always follow manufacturer instructions.

Never purchase products that have been opened! You might be buying flour!

Tips For Preventing Insect Damage

• Clean the area before storing to remove existing insects.• Treat the area before storing with a pesticide.• Mix chemical dust with the grain.• Fumigate.

• Store in a oxygen-free and rat-proof container.

Metal storage barrels.Requires no chemicals when sealed correctly.

Insects are controlled by suffocation.Rodent-proof.

(Tanzania)

Plastic barrel prevent rats. Requires chemicals to control insects.

Oxygen free bags can be used to control insects without pesticides.

BUT, must be protected against rats.

Rats!

Tips For Preventing Insect Damage• Clean the area before storing to remove existing insects.• Treat the area before storing with a pesticide.• Mix chemical dust with the grain.• Fumigate.• Store in a oxygen-free and rat-proof container.

• Check your grain about every month and apply insect control as needed.

Tips For Preventing Insect Damage

• Clean the area before storing to remove existing insects.• Treat the area before storing with a pesticide.• Mix chemical dust with the grain.• Fumigate.• Store in a oxygen-free container.• Check your grain about every month and apply insect control

as needed.

• Keep grain dry (store at <11%).

Tips For Preventing Insect Damage

• Clean the area before storing to remove existing insects.• Treat the area before storing with a pesticide.• Mix chemical dust with the grain.• Fumigate.• Store in a oxygen-free and rat-proof container.• Check your grain about every month and apply insect

control as needed.• Keep grain dry

• Store in a cool place

Tips For Preventing Insect Damage• Chemical control such as Shumba, Actellic,

Malathion, or Phostoxin gas

and/or

• Oxygen-free (barrels or plastic bags)

Storage Methods

• Nylon or jute bags + pesticides• Oxygen-free bags• Barrels (air tight)• Barrels (not air tight) +

pesticides• Barrels (air tight) + pesticides• Barrels (not air tight) + oxygen

free bags + pesticides

Good

Better

Types of Storage Containers

• Rat proof containers with bags

• Oxygen fee bags

• 200 - 300 kg

Tips For Preventing Insect Damage- Review -

• If do these things “On Time” and at a “At a High Standard”, you can store your grain “Without Wasting “any!

• Clean the area before storing to remove existing insects.• Treat the area before storing with a pesticide.• Mix chemical dust with the grain.• Fumigate.• Store in a oxygen-free container.• Check your grain about every month and apply insect

control as needed.• Keep grain dry• Store in a cool place

Tips For Preventing Insect Damage

• My recommendation:– Get several clean barrels.– Fill with clean, dry grain mixed with Shumba or

Actellic, preferably in a oxygen-free bag.– Treat with photoxin.– Seal the barrel as tightly as possible.– Store in a cool, dry place.– Check monthly and treat as needed.– If you do this, you should have NO insect damage!

Tips For Preventing Insect Damage• Chemical control such as Shumba, Actellic,

Malathion, or Phostoxin gas

and/or

• Oxygen-free (barrels or plastic bags)

Dr. Floyd Dowell, Ph.D.Agricultural Engineer

Planting Hope International3310 Germann DriveManhattan, KS 66503

785.776.8523plantinghope@yahoo.com

www.plantinghopeinternational.org