Outreach
and Technology Transfer
Economic
Analysis of IPM Strategies
The CIMSPIP team has generated
a significant number of outcomes to manage stored product insect pests during
the first three years, as noted above. Much
of the work has been completed on most objectives. For Years 4 and 5, the workplan is provided in relation to
the original objectives of the project.
a. Reduced-risk products: Frank Arthur,
Bh. Subramanyam, Carl Reed, Thomas Phillips, Gerrit Cuperus,
Sonny Ramaswamy, Gerry Wilde, Kun Yan Zhu
Experiments on reduced risk
compounds will utilize wheat-filled grain bins at SPREC, the Stored Product
Research and Education Center of OSU. Studies
will focus on diatomaceous earth, DE, which is a food-safe desiccant
insecticide, and also on the insect growth regulator hydroprene. In the first year we will utilize 12 bins that each hold 170 bushels
(bu)
of wheat. Three DE treatments and an untreated control will be randomly
assigned to each of 3 bins, and DE will be added at the time of bin-filling.
One treatment will be DE added to the entire grain mass at the label rate
for wheat, approximately 400 to 1,000 ppm, depending on the formulation, and
will represent a positive control since we expect grain to be adequately
protected from infestation; however, we also expect it will suffer a reduction
in test weight as a direct result of DE incorporation. The second treatment will be a top-layer application in which DE will be
applied just to the top 50 cm of grain at a rate of 500 ppm. The third treatment will be a multi-layer application that combines an
empty bin treatment of DE followed by addition of DE to the bottom 50 cm of
grain and the top 50 cm of grain. The
empty bin application will be according to label specifications of 1.2 lbs per
1000 square feet applied from the top of the bin with a power aspirator, which
provides a thorough layer of electro-statically charged DE particles to all
internal bin surfaces. Grain layer
treatments will involve addition of DE to the bottom and top of the grain masses
during bin filling. All bins will
be challenged with insect infestation by addition of 100 adults each of red
flour beetles, Tribolium castaneum,
lesser grain borers and rusty grain beetles, Cryptolestes ferrugineus, into the tops of each bin at the time of
bin filling and for three more consecutive weeks after that. Treatment effects will be assessed by using a grain trier to take 1-kg
composite grain samples each month after bin filling through December, and then
a final set of samples in April or May before unloading. Grain samples will be sifted for the presence of live insects, and grain
quality, including test weight and insect-damaged-kernels, will be determined
from these samples. Additionally,
WB-II probe-pitfall traps will be applied to each bin in the study for a week
period after each grain sample is taken. Probe
traps will determine levels of insect activity that may not be detected from
grain samples.
Another experiment will utilize
the 16 each 500-bu bins at SPREC that are equipped with aeration fans and
permanent temperature sensor cables. The
following four treatments will be randomly applied to each of four bins:
aeration only, methoprene only at the 1 ppm label rate, a combination of
methoprene and aeration, and aeration combined with methoprene just to the top
50 cm of the grain mass. Aeration
will be applied to all the treatments similarly using the recently installed OPI-Systems
fan-controlling and temperature management system at the SPREC grain bins.
Three aeration cycles will be used to facilitate early season cooling of
the grain: cooling to a set-point of 75°F during the summer, cooling to 60°F
in early autumn, and a final cooling to 45°F in late autumn. Insects will be added as described in the experiment above, and
evaluation of grain samples and traps will also be conducted in the same way. A
third experiment will be conducted in the next year that will eliminate the
effect of aeration and determine if levels of DE and methoprene can be reduced
and still be effective when combined. For
this test we will use the 12 each 170 bu bins at SPREC and randomly assign one
of the following four treatments to each of three bins: untreated control,
methoprene only at 1 ppm, methoprene as a top layer treatment of 50 cm only, and
methoprene and DE both applied to the entire mass, but each at half their
registered rate for wheat. Both DE
and methoprene are relatively expensive compared to currently used materials
like malathion, so a low dose combination may prove economical if it is
effective. Insects will be added to
bins, grain samples will be taken and traps run, as in the studies above, in
order to evaluate the treatment effects.
The final test with grain will be
conducted using four 4,000-bushel bins located at the Grain Marketing and
Production Research Center (GMPRC), Manhattan, Kansas. All four bins are
equipped with aeration fans for low-volume cooling with ambient air. Two
treatments will be applied to each of two bins in the group. These two treatments will depend on the results from Year 1, and will be
the most successful treatment including methoprene (either with or without
aeration), and the best of the DE treatments. At the time of binning, 1,000 adults each of the lesser grain borer, the
red flour beetle, and the rusty grain beetle will be introduced into each bin to
ensure adequate infestation. If
necessary, a second introduction will be made in September. Insect populations in each bin will be assessed at monthly intervals from
time of binning through December, using insect probe-pitfall traps and grain
trier samples. Pitfall traps will
be put into the surface of the grain mass at each sample point and left for one
week, then removed and the insect species in each trap will be tabulated. Trier samples will then be taken at each compass point and
depth where the temperatures are being monitored to sample distribution within
the grain mass.
We will continue determining the effect of diatomaceous
earth on distribution, survival, and reproduction of lesser grain borer. We will use the most effective depth layer (mortality increased, and
movement reduced) of Protect-it® and compare that formulation of DE with two
others: Dryacide®, and Insecto®. Because all of the three formulations are
available commercially it would be relevant to see how they compare in this
situation against LGB using the system. Another objective is to look at the
behavior of the LGB more closely using a small arena, consisting of a monolayer
of wheat between two pieces of glass allowing for observations to be made.
The effects of hydroprene on the
development and mortality of eggs of Indianmeal moth under various temperature
conditions has been quantified in a recently completed study. A simulation model for the effects of hydroprene and temperature will be
built.
Efficacy of DE and methoprene to
control the lesser grain borer in rough rice will be determined. We will examine 30 varieties of rice that perform resistance properties
to lesser grain borer. We will select the lowest of the most effective combination
of DE and methoprene (T1) and compare its efficacy to DE (T2) and methoprene
alone (T3) on three types of rice. Two resistant and susceptible varieties of
rice will be tested with those treatments.
We will assess effect of
methoprene to reproductive reduction of lesser grain borer and examine effect of
varietal resistance and efficacy of combination of DE and methoprene for
development of lesser grain borer.
A long-term study will be conducted on the degradation and
efficacy of the insect growth regulator methoprene applied on stored wheat.
Wheat will be treated with 0.50 and 1.25 ppm of methoprene EC, stored at 27°C,
57% relative humidity for 18 months, and sampled and bioassayed at 3-month
intervals. Bioassays will be conducted by exposing adult lesser grain borers and
red flour beetles for 3 weeks, then removing the parent adults and holding the
wheat for 8 weeks to determine progeny production. Wheat will also be sent to
the cooperator at 3-month intervals for quantification of methoprene residues.
Efficacy of methoprene against wandering-phase Indianmeal
moth larvae will be determined by exposing last-instars on birdseed treated with
the labeled rates of methoprene, 1.0, 2.5, and 5.0 ppm. Exposures will be
conducted at 27 and 32°C, 57 and 75% relative humidity, and larvae will be
exposed for differential time intervals.
Efficacy of selected targeted insecticide treatments will
be evaluated in small-scale field studies and in commercial facilities. The
objectives will be to: determine chemical applications in small areas will lead
to a reduction in overall populations, examine potential for reinfestation, and
correlate efficacy with other strategies such as cleaning and sanitation. Insect
traps will be employed for population assessments, and temperatures will be
monitored throughout the study.
Foundation certified seed stock facilities rely heavily on
chemical management for protection from stored product insects, including
application of chlorpyrifos-methyl directly to seed, treatment with contact
insecticides of pallets and building perimeter, and warehouse fogging with
dichlorvos or fumigation with phosphine. A
monitoring and exclusion program for lesser grain borer will be developed for
these types of facilities. The
specific objectives are to monitor lesser grain borer seasonal flight activity
and spatial distribution inside and outside seed warehouses; determine the
importance of lesser grain borer immigration into seed warehouses and identify
routes of entry; and assess efficacy of exclusion and perimeter insecticide
applications as alternatives to fumigation.
In food facilities is often difficult to accurately
evaluate the efficacy of surface treatments with chemical insecticides because
the insects typically occur in hidden refugia and often the impact of the
treatment is only indirectly monitored using pheromone traps. The influence of application strategy on the efficacy of
surface treatments and the ability of indirect sampling methods such as
pheromone trapping to accurately monitor efficacy will be tested in pilot scale
warehouses with structural refugia. This
work will then be followed up with residual surface treatments, including
cyfluthrin and hydroprene, applied to insect infested areas within commercial
milling/processing plants.
UP
b.
Behavior and Genetics: Dick Beeman, Jim Campbell, Thomas
Phillips, Sonny Ramaswamy, Bh. Subramanyam, Charles Woloshuk, Kun Yan Zhu
One subproject of the genetics/behavior section involves
DNA fingerprinting of Plodia. We
are collecting Indianmeal moth adults using pheromone traps within Manhattan, in
Kansas, within the US, and from various countries willing to send moth samples.
We have completed sampling for Indian meal
moths in Kansas (30 counties) and in Manhattan (about 10 locations). We are
expecting samples from different states in the USA and have received specimens
from 5 states. We have also received samples from seven countries.
This research will focus on identifying polymorphism in DNA microsatellites
among Indianmeal moth populations.
We have already developed fifteen
dinucleotide and tetranucleotide microsatellite loci suitable for population
genetic analysis from genomic libraries enriched for microsatellite
inserts. Thirteen loci are polymorphic across the 5 populations screened
with the number of alleles ranging from 4-8. These markers could clearly
differentiate these populations. <
Another subproject involves research on the genomics of a
stored product pest beetle. Overall
project goals are (1) to develop applications for transposon-based germline
transformation in a model species for pest insects (red flour beetle, Tribolium
castaneum), that will enhance study of pest biology and lead to discovery of
genetic targets for pest control; and (2) to develop DNA fingerprinting
technology for pest insect populations in order to characterize infestations and
determine their sources and movements. The
specific goal for part (1) of the research will be to test a new system
artificial hybrid dysgenesis in Tribolium for controlled destabilization and
restabilization of a mutagenic transposon. We will target a defined region of the Tribolium genome for insertional
mutagenesis, using a binary system of engineered transposons (the Lepidopteran piggyBac element derived from the
Trichoplusia ni and the Dipteran Minos element derived from Drosophila hydei). The test will be based
on hybridizing separately-constructed mutator and helper strains to cause
destabilization and mobilization of the mutagenic piggyBac transposon. The region to be
targeted for mutagenesis will be a portion of chromosome 3, which contains
several genes of interest, including genes required for muscle and nervous
system functioning, and a maternal larvicidal gene. Specific goals for part (2) of the research will be to (a) collect
beetles from infested flour mills; (b) sequence variable regions of genomic DNA
from individual beetles; and (c) use this sequence data to address questions
about the hierarchical family relationships among individuals, to infer founder
effects, to ascertain the relative contributions of multiple vs. single
infestation sources and to assess the long-term stability/turnover of infesting
populations. This research fits
into a larger research effort to develop science-based pest management
strategies for food processing facilities that are sustainable and ensure a safe
and economical food supply.
Work on moth semiochemicals is
focused on the Indianmeal moth (IMM), Plodia interpunctella, which is one of the most common and serious pests of high
value commodities and value-added processed foods. Two approaches will be researched, “attracticide” and
mating disruption, that utilize the synthetic female sex pheromone, “ZETA”,
for manipulating male behavior and ultimately reducing reproduction of moths and
suppressing the pest population over time. For the attracticide work we are using a commercially available gel
formulation called LastCall™ that
incorporates a small amount of pheromone with 6% permethrin insecticide.We propose a series of wind tunnel and touch-toxicity tests with dots of
attracticide gel to determine their longevity for ultimate field use. Precisely metered drops of gel of three different sizes (15 and 50 mg)
will be separately applied to glass slides and tested in the wind tunnel against
male Indianmeal moths on the same day of application (time 0) and at 2, 4, 6 and
8 weeks of age.Toxicity of gel formulated for IMM with either 6% or 12% permethrin will also be assessed
following aging. A series of dots
like those used in the experiment described above will be applied to glass
slides, aged similarly in the fume hood, and used in touch-toxicity tests with
male Indianmeal moths. We will
select the gel with the least amount of Permethrin that can sustain male
toxicity and reduced fertility of paired females for an 8-week period. Since work so far shows that
Permethrin concentration does not affect response to ZETA, we do not need to
test gels of different Permethrin concentration in the wind tunnel.
Once the
attracticide gel is optimized in the laboratory we will proceed with field
validation in commercial settings. We
will utilize pairs of similar buildings close to each other that house stored
product activities. One building in
a pair will be assigned the attracticide treatment and the other building will
be an untreated control. Moth
populations will be monitored equally at both treated and untreated buildings
throughout an entire season to determine if the attracticide can suppress the
Indianmeal moth population. We will
initially select a large number of facilities at the beginning of the season and
characterize each one with regard to moth population and physical structure.
Then we will select at least 4-6 pairs of buildings, each of similar
structure and with similar moth populations. Monitoring of moth populations will be conducted in the same way in all
buildings and will utilize sticky traps baited with commercial monitoring lures
of ZETA and also opened dishes of food to monitor oviposition by females. Pheromone traps will be very important early in the season, when up to 20
or more buildings may be monitored, so that we can readily establish an indirect
measure of moth activity in each facility and begin to formulate pairs for
study. Food dishes are 15 x 90 mm
disposable plastic Petri dishes filled with our laboratory Plodia rearing diet.
Food
dishes for moth oviposition give an assessment of the level of moth reproduction
and the infestation pressure in a given population. After a food dish has been exposed to a moth population it is returned to
the laboratory where it is incubated so that larvae hatch and develop, and after
2 weeks the larvae are heat-extracted from the media and counted. Once pairs of buildings are established we will randomly select one to be
treated with attracticide, which will be applied at a pre-determined effective
density, and the other to be the control. Monitoring
with traps and food dishes will continue after treatments are deployed and into
the fall at all facilities. Suppression
will be demonstrated if larval populations in food dishes are significantly
lower in attracticide-treated facilities compared to untreated controls.
Mating
disruption will also be field-tested in essentially the same manner as that
described above for attracticide. In
2002 we conducted experiments in paired chicken houses using high-dose slow
pheromone release devices to deliver mating disruption into a treated building.
Moth populations of similar sizes were introduced into each building and
population monitoring was achieved with traps and oviposition dishes. One building was always assigned mating disruption and the other left
untreated for two weeks. A third
week was reserved for “airing out”, and then the mating disruption treatment
was switched to the other building and the experiment run again. Four switching cycles were conducted and the results clearly showed total
suppression of moth capture in traps and a significant decrease in larval
populations following mating disruption. For
future work we will use the experimental design above with paired buildings
monitored throughout a season in which one has mating disruption and the other
is untreated.
Another
approach to manipulating IMM behavior for purposes of population suppression
will be the development of a female moth attractant. Since females are directly responsible for infestation through
reproduction and egg-laying, reduction of their numbers can have a more direct
affect on population size than would control of males. Preliminary work has determined that several food-based substrates are
attractive to female moths released in rooms. Our proposed work is to make chemical extracts of these attractive
substrates and then to utilize bioassay-directed fractionation to identify, or
at least enrich, the active components of these substrates. Once a highly active fraction is isolated, or one or more active
compounds are identified, we will study attraction of female IMMs in artificial
and commercial field sites to determine if better population monitoring or
population suppression can be achieved.
We will be
undertaking field research on spatial distribution and dispersal of the lesser
grain borer in farm landscapes. Lesser
grain borer dispersal will be evaluated using mark-recapture techniques. In
Dickinson county, KS, the spatial distribution of of lesser grain borer flight
activity across a landscape containing of agricultural fields, on farm storage
bins, a grain elevator, and woodlands will be assessed by trapping beetles with
sticky traps baited with an aggregation pheromone. Questions about the potential influence of long range dispersal
interconnecting landscape features and the impact on pest management will be
addressed.
Current experiments are under way to use
electrophysiological, behavioral, and chemical methods to identify a suite of
behavior modifying compounds from a whole series of stored products. Once these compounds are identified, they will be formulated and tested
for use as attractants against the complex of insect species in storage
conditions. We will also attempt to
optimize formulations and traps.
Research will be
conducted to evaluate the interactions between stored-product pests and
pheromone and/or food baited traps and the impact of intrinsic and extrinsic
factors on insect response to trap and trap capture efficiency. This information will be used to help with the interpretation of the
results of pheromone monitoring programs and with the improved design and
application of pheromone traps. Work will initially focus on expanding previous research on
the red flour beetle, but also expand to other species of stored product pest.
The mechanisms by which pest population rebound after whole
structure treatments such as fumigation will be evaluated, including the
potential of persistence of residual populations and immigration from external
sources. In addition, the potential
sources of insects in the broader landscapes surrounding food facilities will be
determined. For example,
preliminary results suggest that residential areas may be important sources of
some stored product species.
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c.
Sampling and IPM decision-making: Bh. Subramanyam, Tom
Phillips, Jim Throne, Paul Flinn, Dirk Maier, Frank Arthur
Research in this topic area will
focus on methods to estimate pest population size and predict pest population
growth in commercially-stored wheat, and also will pursue improved methods for
assessing pest populations in food processing facilities. In the grain work we will evaluate the utility of “Insector”, an
electronic monitoring tool originally named the Electronic Grain Probe Insect
Counter, or EGPIC (see above). This
USDA invention has been licensed to a private company and we will be conducting
field validation studies. Initial
work will determine the level of accuracy of electronic counts with actual
number and species of insects trapped using the latest design. Later work will correlate insects counted with the actual density in the
experimental bin, and these estimates will be a modified by inputs of grain
temperature and counting duration. By
incorporating population growth models we should be able to predict the future
growth of the pest population and predict when and where control measures are
needed. Ultimately we plan to have Insectors installed in one or more commercial
grain bins to validate its operation under practical conditions.
We
will continue investigations on the utility of contour mapping for analyzing
insect trap catch data in food processing facilities. Experimental studies will apply the geostatistical methods investigated
in the first part of this project to populations of Indianmeal moths. We will determine how accurately traps with lures of various attractive
strengths (loaded with different concentrations of pheromone) sample male moths
and estimate their population centers. We
will also use female attractants developed in parallel work (see above) to
document female activity, which has not been done with this species. Analytical methods will be compared and the most effective method will be
applied to one or more commercial field sites assessment of its utility.
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d.
Biological Control and Pathogens: Jeff Lord, Paul Flinn, Jim Throne, Jim
Campbell, Jim Nechols
We will evaluate the potential of augmentative
releases of Trichogramma egg
parasitoids to biologically manage Plodia
interpunctella in retail stores. Also, we will identify and explore physical
and spatial environmental variables that might adversely affect Trichogramma foraging.
We will continue testing the nematode parasite S.
riobrave as a biological control agent. The influence of temperature and RH on efficacy will be evaluated and
larger scale field trials will be conducted. The influence of different adjuvants to increase the time nematodes are
capable of infecting hosts will be investigated. The influence of host infection status on nematode attraction and
infectivity will be investigated. We will also undertake studies on determine
what chemical cues are involved in evaluating host suitability.
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e.
Aeration Management: Frank Arthur, Paul Flinn,
James Throne, Dirk Maier, Charles Woloshuk, Carl Reed
We will continue to expand the
application and validation of the Post-Harvest Aeration and Storage Stimulation
Tool (PHAST-FEM) to simulate heat (temperature), mass (moisture) and gas
transfer in a range of bulk-stored products held in various storage structures
(bins, tanks, silos, flat storage/sheds, bunkers and piles). PHAST-FEM is a
previously developed and validated comprehensive axisymmetric finite element
model. It will be used to predict the heat, mass and momentum transfer that
occurs in upright steel and concrete storage structures due to conduction,
diffusion, and natural convection using realistic boundary conditions. Realistic
boundary conditions consist of grain surfaces permeable to natural convection
currents in the headspace and plenum, solar radiation, convective heat transfer
due to the wind, convective heat and mass transfer between the plenum and
headspace air. All simulations use historic hourly weather data. The expected
outcome of this research activity will be (a) to further quantify the combined
effect of natural convection currents and realistic boundary conditions on
moisture accumulation due to equilibration of the grain with the headspace and
plenum air conditions; and (b) to demonstrate the potential uses and benefits of
using the Post-Harvest Aeration and Storage Simulation Tool – Finite Element
Method (PHAST-FEM) to improve the implementation of stored product and
management practices.
Historical weather data for the south-central United States
will be used to estimate the impact of aeration on cooling patterns and insect
population development on stored-rough rice. Several different cooling regimes
and management strategies will be evaluated in these simulation studies. Weather
data will also be used to develop new approaches for managing insect pests in
stored peanuts in the southeastern United States.
We currently have on-going research that focuses on
understanding the basic principles of water regulation in xerophilic filamentous
fungi with a long-term goal of understanding the biochemical and molecular
mechanisms that allow xerophilic fungi to compete in the dry environment of a
grain storage mass. We will initiate a new project activity related to the
measurement of the aggressiveness of storage fungi under dry grain conditions
and its impact on fungal feeding insects. We will isolate fungi of the A.
glaucus group from corn stored for various lengths of time. We anticipate 50 to
100 isolates from 50 grain storage samples primarily collected from our
long-term pilot bin storage trials. For each isolate, we will evaluate its rate
of growth and ability to compete under various levels of water activity. The
data will help us determine the diversity in the populations of the A. glaucus
group and possibly how moisture management impacts the populations. The expected
outcome of this research activity will be better information to teach grain
producers and handlers that the mold in their storage bins are diverse, and the
consequences of improper drying of grain bound for storage often leads to
blue-eye mold in corn, mycotoxins contamination, and increased insect activity.
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f. Methyl
Bromide Alternatives:
f.1. Fumigant Alternatives: Dirk Maier, Charles
Woloshuk; Michael Montross, Tom Phillips
Application of vacuum, or low
pressure, to a commodity in a gas tight vessel results in a low oxygen
atmosphere that is insecticidal. Our
earlier work determined the exposure time and temperatures needed to achieve
acceptable mortality of major storage grain pests, and recently we demonstrated
that postharvest pests of fresh fruits could be killed by low pressure with
minimal fruit damage. In the
remaining years of this project we propose to develop enhanced methods for more
effective vacuum treatments in shorter time periods, and to pursue practical
application of low pressure to various commodities using a commercially
available portable, flexible PVC chamber known as a “Cocoon” that is
evacuated using an electric pump. Recent
work found that exposure times under vacuum could be reduced by the addition of
a toxic gas. Experiments will be
conducted to optimize the vacuum treatment by addition of low doses of
biologically-based fumigants such as ethyl formate, a food-safe insecticidal
volatile from many fruits and vegetables. Ethyl
formate combined with low pressure should shorten exposure time and achieve
better kill with tolerant life stages. Previous
work with the Cocoon demonstrated that bagged bulk commodities such as seed and
nuts are not damaged by the outer pressure on the Cocoon surface, but boxes and
other packages are easily crushed. We
will develop a structural metal framing system so that the evacuated Cocoon will
not damage crushable packaged food products during dis-infestation. Preliminary analyses suggest that a cost-effective frame can be built
that will allow for the portability and overall low cost of the Cocoon system.
Our goal is to develop precision fumigation protocols for
the effective application of SO2F2 fumigant gas in stored
grain bulks. Precision fumigation is a site-specific approach that optimizes
fumigant use and reduces exposure risks. We will use a systems modeling approach
to investigate the effective application and distribution of SO2F2
gas to control insect pests in the stored grain bulk. We will determine SO2F2
gas diffusion parameters in the stored grain bulk (corn and wheat), develop a
fumigant gas model to determine SO2F2 movement and
concentration, and validate the model through full-scale fumigation trials with
SO2F2.
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f.2. Heat: Bh. Subramanyam, Paul
Flinn, Frank Arthur, Gerrit Cuperus
We will continue to conduct field
experiments in 11 pilot bins (500 bushel capacity) filled with approximately 383
bushels of shelled corn each. These bins were first filled in 1999 and since
then continue to hold the same corn. We will attempt to continue using this
corn, which will result in a truly long-term stored product protection trial. In
2003 and 2004 (spring to fall), three temperature management strategies will be
implemented. For the no-aeration (NA) strategy, 3 bins will be used and 4 bins
each will be used for both the ambient aeration (AA) and chilled aeration (CA)
strategies, respectively. In order to achieve objective I (Develop
methods of pest management that reduce or eliminate the risk from pest residues
– Aeration Management – D.3.f.), we will use probe traps,
pheromone-baited flight traps and corrugated cardboard rolls to monitor natural
infestation of insect pests in the grain bulk and the Indianmeal moth in the
headspace of the stored grain. For objective 2 (Develop
and implement information intensive approaches to pest management –Sampling
and IPM Decision Making –D.3.c.), separate sets of cages with 50 adults of
red flour beetle (RFB) and maize weevil (MW) per cage, and 50 eggs of Indianmeal
moth (IMM) will be placed in locations typical for each insect type. Trap
catches will be used to estimate insect numbers per day. Insect mortality for
the caged insects will be conducted monthly through the trial period. Bins will
be probed biweekly for moisture content and 26 thermistors on five temperature
cables will log data of the stored corn bulk. The fans and a grain chiller will
be automatically controlled from a computer. The expected outcome of this
research activity will be to demonstrate (a) the benefits of using low
temperature as a primary tool to manage and to control stored product pests in
on-farm storage of grains, and (b) the use of grain sampling and insect trapping
as critically important methods for effective IPM-based decision making.
We will continue to work on the
following objectives of this activity, i.e., (1) quantify the effectiveness of
preseason heat sterilization to eradicate residual stored product pests below
the perforated floors of on-farm storage bins, and (2) engineer heat treatment
systems for on-farm applications and quantify the costs and benefits for the
storage of high-value identity-preserved food and specialty grains. The expected
outcome of this research activity will be the successful application of heat to
the plenum using the fan and burner of a typical farm drying and storage bin as
an alternative pre-binning sanitation procedure that farmers may be able to use
to meet identity preservation, organic and specialty grain market requirements.
We will examine
heat shock proteins in various life stages of T.
castaneum exposed to elevated temperatures and molecular characterizations
of different HSPs in relation to different exposure temperature and time in
young larvae. We will also
determine effects on reproduction of T.
castaneum exposed to sublethal temperatures during heat treatment.
Currently, collecting
time-mortality data of Triboliun confusum,
by exposing different life stages to constant temperatures ranging from 46 to 60°C.
In the days to come, data will be fitted to thermal death kinetic models and
will be validated with an independent time-mortality data collected during
actual heat treatment. Determining the most heat
tolerant stage of confused flour beetle, developing a model based on the
temperature-time-mortality data and evaluating it with independent
temperature-time-mortality data taken during heat treatment. Thereby predicting
the mortality of most heat tolerant stage of confused flour beetle during the
heat treatment of food processing facilities.
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g. Outreach and Technology Transfer:
Bh. Subramanyam,
Gerrit Cuperus, Tim Herrman, Thomas Phillips, Frank Arthur, Phillip Sloderbeck,
Bob Bauernfeind, Brian Adam, Dirk Maier
The outreach and technology transfer portion of this research includes new
extension and education materials for
our diverse clientele, field days and presentations, national and regional workshops, training courses, and a
comprehensive website to provide up-to-date information. Oklahoma State
University, Kansas State University and Purdue University currently have several informational bulletins and training manuals available on the
subjects of stored grain and stored product management. We will begin to revise
them and incorporate the research results gathered in this project and
information on alternatives to OP insecticides and the fumigants. Additionally,
we will publish new informational documents on management of insects in stored
grain and food-handling establishments. All new materials will become available
via the CIMSPIP website.
Research results on OP and fumigant alternatives will
continue to be published in peer reviewed journals and also communicated to user
groups through training sessions, oral presentations, extension bulletins, trade
journals and newsletters. A key training session for grain industry members that
was attended by all PIs of this project was the Sixth National Stored Product
IPM Training Conference held in August 2002 in Manhattan, KS. We will begin the
planning of the Seventh National Stored Product IPM Training Conference to be
held near the completion of this research project. Findings from our research
will be funneled into the lectures and hands-on training sessions for industry
stakeholders.
All information generated from this project will be provided to state
agencies and extension personnel in the grain-growing states responsible for
pesticide certification and training. Information will also be provided to the
national NAPIAP office [Office of Pest Management and Policy] and to state
NAPIAP liaisons. The same information will be shared with the National Pest
Control Association and with each state pest control association.
A distance education course on Value Adding Grains and Oilseeds has been
initiated at Purdue University. The focus of this on-line distance education
course is on helping producers, educators and agribusiness professionals
increase in their ability to minimize risk and maximize income due to improved
agronomic production practices, special harvest considerations, grain handling
facility planning and operation, post-harvest grain quality management,
marketing and utilization skills. We plan to utilize this platform and expand
the modules on Grain Handling Facility Planning and Operation and emerging
subject matter of critical importance to U.S. agriculture in which few have
taken formal training during their undergraduate or graduate college education.
UP
h. Economic
Analysis of IPM Strategies: Brian Adam, Dirk Maier
A key factor in the adoption of
IPM or any change in management systems is the costs and benefits associated
with the change. Cost-benefit
analysis refers to the formal process of comparing the costs and benefits of a
proposed change. Up to this point
we have developed a spreadsheet-based program for cost-benefit analysis and we
applied it to the management options available for stored bulk grain. In the last two years of the project we will evaluate all of the IPM
tools researched throughout the CIMSPIP project. We will prioritize and rank these practices for efficacy, and their costs
of application will be estimated. Risk
analysis will be a key feature of the comprehensive analysis. Our focus will turn more toward IPM methods applied to value-added
processed food products rather than on bulk grain. Thus sanitation, pest monitoring with traps, targeted controls with
alternative residual chemicals, pheromone-based suppression of pests, and methyl
bromide alternatives will be compared with more traditional or
chemical-intensive management schemes. We
will evaluate marketing scenarios in which premiums are paid for foods produced
under IPM programs, and ultimately we will have a comprehensive cost-benefit
analysis of IPM applied across the continuum of bulk-stored raw commodities to
value-added retail products.
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