U.S. Department of Agriculture: Agricultural Research Service, Lincoln, Nebraska

 

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

1994

Citation

J. Econ. Entomol. 87(3): 810-816 (1994)

Comments

This document is a U.S. government work and is not subject to copyright in the United States.

Abstract

Lots of 229 kg untreated seed com and com treated with 8 ppm pirimiphosmethyl were stored in unaerated bins and bins modified with a fan blower to provide aeration. The corn was infested artificially with adults of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst); the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky; and eggs of the Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hiibner), to determine the effects of aeration on insect control in southeastern Georgia. Total temperature units in unaerated and aerated treated corn during the storage period of 15 October through 4 August were 5,729 and 5,196 degree-days, and moisture content was significantly greater in unaerated than in aerated bins. Pirimiphos-methyl degraded more quickly in unaerated than in aerated bins. No live insects were recovered from either unaerated or aerated treated bins. Total temperature units in untreated unaerated and untreated aerated corn were 5,745 and 5,391 degree-days. Percentage moisture content, percentage insect-damaged kernels, and number of beetles were greater in unaerated untreated than in aerated untreated bins. Indianmeal moth populations did not increase with time in untreated unaerated or untreated aerated bins. Aeration potentially can reduce insect pest population levels and subsequent damage in corn stored in southeastern Georgia.

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