This project aimed to develop cost-effective, readily adoptable alternatives to a phosphine fumigant that will control resistant insects and comply with industry and market standards.

Research outcomes:

• Establish rate of desorption of air from grain under nitrogen.
• New knowledge of insect response (toxicity, behavioural) to low O2/high N2 concentrations and its relationship to phosphine resistance.
• New knowledge of the effects on grain quality of storage under nitrogen.
• New nitrogen application method.

Research implications:

This research has led to development of cost-effective, readily adoptable phosphine alternatives that will control resistant insects and comply with industry and market standards which significantly contribute to further enhance Australian grain industry reputation in both domestic and international market.

Acknowledgements:

The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Program. The support from the CRC for National Plant Biosecurity (CRCNPB), Murdoch University and the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) is gratefully acknowledged. We thank Dr Pat Collins, Dr David Eagling, Dr Jonathan Banks, Ern Kostas, Greg Hopkins, Matthew Head and Chris Newman for their helpful advice on research and trial protocols. We thank CBH and Doug Clarke (Western Australia Grains Group, Lake Grace) for their assistance with the procurement of wheat, canola and storage facilities. We thank also Doug and the Clarke family (Western Australia Grains Group, Lake Grace), Ern Kostas, Graeme George, Nicholas Trim and Keith Andrews (CBH) for assistance in the conduct of the trials. We thank Professor Cao Yang and his team (Stored Grain Research Lab, Chinese Academy of Cereal Science) for assistance in laboratory bioassays and conduct of the trials to test membrane separation nitrogen generator in horizontal wheat storage.

Publications: