Warm conditions encourage pests in grain stores

The warm conditions this autumn and winter will have encouraged pests to flourish in grain stores and growers should inspect their stores now to see if treatment of the grain heap is required and their investment maintained.

Dr. David Stormonth, Technical Manager for Interfarm, explains that biophysical grain treatment Silico-Sec can be applied to the grain surface 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.

Silico-Sec can be used on stored crops for the management of a wide range of insect pests and mites, with no issues of resistance, residues or restrictions associated with chemical-based treatments. Cereal and rape growers at the start of the food-chain can use Silico-Sec as a non-chemical pesticide control measure which is acceptable to processors and consumers at the end of the food-chain, points out David.

Dr. Stormonth explains that Silico-Sec is derived from diatomaceous earth consisting of highly micronised specific amorphous silica and is effective against all target pests, including grain mites, grain weevil, the saw-toothed grain beetle, the red-rust flour beetle and the larvae of the cosmopolitan flour moth.It is the abrasive amorphous silica in the product that controls insects and mites, by rubbing against the outside of the pests, removing their water-proofing wax in their cuticles, resulting in desiccation and death.

He points out that grain mites are not easy to control in store, particularly with some alternative treatments. But because Silico-Sec is biophysical, it controls all insects and mites and has no resistance issues. It is a natural, non-toxic alternative to OP or pyrethroid treatments and can be used in conventional and organic systems.

The mild winter can also cause pest problems in other areas. Silico-Sec is not just for grain stores, it can also be used in a wide variety of storage premises for insect pest control, including cheese stores where mites can accumulate as the cheese slowly matures.

Silico-Sec contains up to 96% inert silicon dioxide as a diatomaceous earth powder derived by a special process and consisting of highly micronized amorphous silica (silicon dioxide). It can be used either as a store fabric treatment prior to filling or on stored feed wheat, barley and oilseed rape (but not milling wheat as yet) for the prevention of invertebrate pests such as mites, weevils and beetles when used as part of an integrated storage management strategy. It has both protectant and curative treatment. It is packed in 15-kg bags and is available exclusively from Interfarm distributors.