Evaluation of Zerofly® Hermetic Storage Bags for Protection of Maize Against Insect Pests in Ghana

Authors

Augustine Bosomtwe, CSIR- Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute, Bunso, GhanaFollow
Enoch Adjei Osekre, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaFollow
Georgina Bingham, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
George Opit, Oklahoma State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

9-2020

Citation

A. Bosomtwe, E. A. Osekre, G. V. Bingham, G. P. Opit. Evaluation Of Zerofly® Hermetic Storage Bags For Protection Of Maize Against Insect Pests In Ghana. International Journals of Scientific Technology Research: Vol 9: 09; ISSN 2277-8616; 192; IJSTR©2020; www.ijstr.org; September 2020.

Comments

IJSTR©2020.

Open Access CC-BY

Abstract

High post-harvest loss of maize due to stored product insect pests remains a food security challenge in Ghana. This field study evaluated the effectiveness of a novel technology, ZeroFly® Hermetic storage bags with different inner liners, to protect maize against infestation by Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky and Prostephanus truncatus Horn. The study was carried out in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana, during the period September 2017 to March 2018. Maize pre-fumigated with Phostoxin® was stored in 50-kg ZeroFly® Hermetic storage bags. Experimental treatments were 20-μm High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) inner liner with oxygen absorber, 20-μm HDPE inner liner without oxygen absorber, 80-μm Polyester and Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH) inner liner with oxygen absorber, 80-μm EVOH inner liner without oxygen absorber, 50-μm Charter NEX high barrier inner liner with oxygen absorber, 50-μm Charter NEX medium barrier inner liner with oxygen absorber, and untreated maize-filled 50-kg polypropylene bags without oxygen absorber (control). Maize-filled 50-kg polypropylene bags without oxygen absorber were used as Control. The percent insect damaged kernels on number basis (%IDKnb) recorded in the 20-μm HDPE liners and polypropylene bags were > 15% compared to < 1.8% recorded in the other treatments. Weight losses in the 80-μm EVOH and 50 -μm Charter NEX high and medium barrier liners were < 0.35%. Aflatoxin levels were below the 15 ppb threshold. The results of the study showed that, ZeroFly® Hermetic storage bags with 80-μm EVOH inner liner and 50-μm Charter NEX high and medium barrier inner liners protected stored maize against S. zeamais and P. truncatus over the 6-month storage period.