With disappointing prices for both cereals and oilseed rape this harvest, it may be a season to prolong storage until prices recover. If this is the case, cereal and oilseed rape growers should be proactive in preventing insect pest and mite damage in store and so extend the storage period whilst maintaining quality. If warm conditions continue, growers need to treat grain heaps with Silico-Sec before pests and mites spoil the grain they have harvested. Grain must be protected in store, as further losses will erode growers returns, reminds Interfarm UK Ltd.
“Prevention is always better than cure. Storage pests cause direct damage to grain and create conditions in which fungal growth can occur, both of which adversely affect quality and returns. Lower cereal and rape seed prices may influence what growers want to do and some may want to keep their harvested grain in store until prices improve,” says Simon Bishop, of Interfarm UK Ltd.
“Silico-Sec is an effective preventative treatment for harvested cereal grain and oilseed rape seed. Because it is a biophysical product, it controls any exo-skeletal pest, including grain weevils, saw-toothed grain beetles, red-rust flour beetles, cosmopolitan food mites and flour mites. Not all grain treatments on the market control mites, but Silico-Sec will control all grain pests and all mites. Not all grain treatments can be used in oilseed rape, but this one can. Importantly the abrading mechanism of action means that there are no resistance or residue issues either.”
“Silico-Sec is applied to the grain surface, either as a low cost preventative treatment at a rate of 200g/m² or as a localised curative application at the rate of 600g/m², depending on the extent of the problem. It should be applied to the surface of stored grains after the heat and moisture content have been reduced within the HGCA guidelines and then worked into the top 30 cms with a rake,” Simon advises.
“Most infestations are found in the surface layers of grain piles, where insect pests move and can access oxygen more easily. Surface layer treatments can be effective in both prevention and cure of pest infestations. But this is only the case when used as part of an integrated strategy for grain store management, together with temperature and moisture control.”
“Silico-Sec is a natural, non-toxic alternative to conventional chemical treatments and it is recommended in both conventional and organic farming systems. It is approved for use under the Organic Farmers and Growers Approved Inputs Scheme,” adds Simon.
