Fumigation of stored-products: Current needs and practices, and future outlook

Abstract

Food grains if stored in proper conditions can be stored for several years, with very minimal detectable level of quality loss. But under improper storage conditions, the losses may be very severe. Fumigation is one of the most effective and quick insect control techniques which have become popular all over the world in the recent years. Fumigants are gaseous pesticides that are slightly heavier than air and have the ability to diffuse to all areas of the sealed container. Methyl bromide had been used as a quarantine chemical for the treatment of agricultural products and for the control of insects in buildings and commodities since 1930s. As methyl bromide is identified as an ozone depleting chemical, many other fumigants like chloropicrin, sulfuryl fluoride, phosphine and carbon dioxide are proven by various researchers as an effective replacement for the methyl bromide. Major insects all around the world developed various levels of resistance for chemicals due to the extensive use of these fumigants. Use of extreme temperatures by application of heat and cold to the stored product is also an effective technique for insect control to some extent. Modified atmospheric storage (MAS) which involves altering of the storage environment is by far the best method to control the insect infestation in stored product.