Issues in Grain Storage: How to Avoid Surprises at Delivery Paul Fields 1 Noel White 1, Blaine Timlick 2, Fuji Jian 3 and Digvir Jayas 3 1 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Cereal Research Centre, paul.fields@agr.gc.ca 2 Canadian Grain Commission, 3 University of Manitoba.
Overview Storage Structures Insects in Stored Grain Prevention Detection Control
Farm Storage
Moisture Migration
Temporary Farm Storage
Temporary Farm Storage Silobags, grain bags, grain harvest bags Used in Australia and South America, Canada Started in Argentina in 1995 Argentina in 2006 stored 20 million tonnes
Silobags Costs Extracter + bagger = $80,000 Bag = $2/tonne ($0.06/bu) Bags 60 m long, store about 200 t (7000 bu) wheat
Silobags Low cost storage Lower transportation costs Flexible storage Segregation of crops Place in well drained ground Crest of hill Away from woods (deer) Deer, birds, rodents can puncture bag Fences/netting to reduce animal damage Few options for management once in bag
Silobags Manufacturers claim that bags are airtight Australian study shows wide variation in airtightness (Darby and Caddick 2007) Only 2/13 bags of bags on farms airtight Some bags initially very airtight, but after several months some lost airtightness Careful loading and regular repair needed to maintain airtight seal
Loading with Canola with Bagger
Loading Canola into Bag
Finishing off Bag
Sealing Bag
Rolling Membrane to Seal Bag
Starting New Bag
Unloading with Extractor
Extractor
Cleaning up Front End Loader
Bag Storage of Canola, Winnipeg 20 t canola at 8,10 and 14% mc Sampled for quality, temperature and CO 2 Stored from Oct 2010-Aug 2011 14% canola extensive spoilage Recommend only storage for few months 8 and 10% mc no significant quality loss Recommend only storage for 10 months
Argentina Silobag Guidelines Cereals Oilseed Months in Storage (mc %) (mc %) Low Medium High Risk Risk Risk Below 14 Below 11 6 12 24 14-16 11-14 2 4 6 Above 16 Above 14 1 2 4 Darby and Caddick 2007
Delivery to Elevator
Terminal Elevator
Overview Storage Structures Insects in Stored Grain Prevention Detection Control
Canadian Grain Act Illegal to sell, transport grain that is infested. Insect-free grain helps guarantee high quality of Canadian grain.
Number of Insects (1000x) 100 80 60 40 20 0 Khapra beetle 12x/m Granary weevil 15x/m Red flour beetle 60x/m 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Month
Rusty Grain Beetle Cryptolestes ferrugineus Food: broken grain, germ, mould Egg to Adult: 3 wks Adult Longevity: 10-30 wks Eggs/female: 400 Rate of increase: 60 fold/month Size: 1.6-2.2 mm
Rusty Grain Beetle
Flour Beetles Food: broken grain, mould, germ Egg to Adult: 3-8 wks Adult Longevity: 45-70 wks Eggs/female: 450 Rate of increase: 60-70 fold/month Size: 3-4 mm
Insects Pests of Grain Rare/Localized Sawtoothed grain beetle Oryzaephilus surinamensis Psocids old.padil.gov.au Rice or Granary Weevils Sitophilus oryzae Sitophilus granarius Mites
Overview Storage Structures Insects in Stored Grain Prevention Clean Grain into Clean Silos Dry grain Cool grain Detection Control
Sanitation Clean up food residues Treat empty bins with insecticide
Insecticide Treatment of Empty Bins Malathion Extensive resistance Do NOT treat canola bins Cyfluthrin (Tempo) Diazon Dichlorvos Pyrethrum with PBO Diatomaceous Earth Needs dry conditions
Overview Storage Structures Insects in Stored Grain Prevention Detection Control
Detection of Insects in Grain You stumble upon them
Detection of Insects in Grain You look for them (Berlese funnels)
Detection of Insects in Grain You ask them to help (traps) Probe pitfall traps Cone pitfall traps
Electronic grain probe Opisystems, Calgary AB 1-800-661-1055
Insector: Electronic trap
Carbon dioxide measuring to detect insects or moulds
Pests of Stored Grain Storage Environment Pests Detection Control Methods Extreme temperatures Fumigants Contact insecticides Biological control Physical control
Temperature Effects on Insects 70 60 140 50 120 Tem perature ( C) 40 30 20 10 0-10 100 80 60 40 20 Tem perature ( F) -20 0-30 -20
Cold Turning grain Aeration of grain Rusty grain beetle -5 o C for 8 weeks -10 o C for 6 weeks -15 o C for 4 weeks
Overview Insects in Stored Grain Prevention Detection Control Extreme temperatures Fumigants Contact insecticides Biological control Physical control
Grain Fumigants Phosphine: PH 3 Carbon dioxide: CO 2 Sulfuryl fluoride: SO 2 F 2 (under review) Methyl bromide: CH 3 Br (being phased out)
Phosphine Fumigation: AlPH 3 / PH 3 Most common chemical control 5 o C grain temp. limit Restricted use The use and sale of aluminum phosphide is restricted to licensed pesticide applicators possessing a stored agricultural products license
Aluminum phosphide Phostoxin pellets 0.2 g of phosphine Phostoxin tablets 1 g of phosphine Phostoxin tablet prepac 33 g of phosphine
Aluminium Phosphide Reaction AlP + 3 H 2 O Al(OH) 3 + PH 3 solid liquid solid gas Al(OH) 3
Automatic Distributor Precise control of dosage Uniform distribution of pellets Workers don t enter bin Done during grain loading
Recirculation Method Equal distribution of gas Workers stay outside bin No movement of grain Permanent or temporary installation Dosage can be reduced For silos 20 m or higher
Gaseous Phosphine: ECO 2 FUME 2% phosphine in 98% CO 2 in cylinder Quicker, accurate dosing Faster than MgPH 3 packs
Phosphine Resistance Extensive phosphine resistance in Oklahoma USA, Australia, India, Brazil Renders phosphine fumigations ineffective Populations 30-500 fold more resistance to phosphine
Carbon Dioxide Needs warmer temperatures than PH 3 Needs longer durations than PH 3 80% CO 2 for 9 d 60% CO 2 for 11 d 40% CO 2 for 17 d 20% CO 2 weeks to months 70% to not less than 35% at 15 d
High pressure CO 2 fumigation High value products Spices and pet food in Europe Quick & expensive
Take Home Message: Fumigants Advantages Quick Kills internal stages Minimal residual chemicals in grain Disadvantages All fumigants very, very toxic Need grain above 5 o C No residual effect Some resistance to phosphine: Australia, Brazil, India, USA
Overview Insects in Stored Grain Prevention Detection Control Extreme temperatures Fumigants Contact insecticides Biological control Physical control
Treating Grain with Insecticides Malathion Wide spread resistance Diatomaceous Earth Grain must below 14% mc Lowers test weight Long lasting
Take Home Message: Residual Insecticides Advantages Long term protection Inexpensive Disadvantages Consumers concerned about insecticides Worker exposure to insecticides Resistance to insecticides Kills parasites
Overview Insects in Stored Grain Prevention Detection Control Extreme temperatures Fumigants Contact insecticides Biological control Physical control
Future Solutions for Warehouses Parasitoids Trichogramma Bracon hebator In USA in grain In Germany in health food stores
Overview Insects in Stored Grain Prevention Detection Control Extreme temperatures Fumigants Contact insecticides Biological control Physical control
Unloading Grain
Pneumatic auger
Impact machine Pin mills, Entoleters Kill insects by impact 2,500 g Flour, semolina, grain Can lower mill capacity Cost of power Higher speeds = higher mortality Lower throughput = higher mortality www.entoleter.com
Websites Canadian Grain Commission Grain Storage, Winnipeg, Canada USDA ARS Stored Product Insect Research Unit, Manhattan, KS, USA Stored Product Protection Electronic book on grain storage Subramanyam Bhadriraju's Lab, Dept. Grain Science and Industry, KSU, Manhattan, KS, USA Western Australia Grain Storage Publications Purdue University
Acknowledgments Degesch America (phosphine slides) Dr. Zlatko Korunic (contact insecticide slides) Canola Council (Funding Silobag study)