Overview of the USDA-ARS Center for Grain and Animal Health Research and Stored Product Insect Research Unit in Manhattan, Kansas James E. Throne U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research , 1515 College Avenue, Manhattan, KS, USA
Center for Grain and Animal Health Research Agricultural Research Service
CGAHR has five research units - four located in main facility on 12 acre (4 hectare) site and one unit on Kansas State University campus Main facility 50,000 bu (700 mt) Research Grain Elevator
Engineering and Wind Erosion Research Unit 4 scientists Develop technologies for rapid, automated assessment of grain quality – detecting disease, mycotoxins, or insect infestation; quantifying protein and other quality traits Develop techniques for safe storage of grain – identity preservation, dust reduction Control wind erosion of the soil – Wind Erosion Prediction System
Grain Quality & Structure Research Unit 5 scientists Determine grain characteristics and components responsible for end-use quality – e.g., which proteins in wheat affect bread rising Find new uses for sorghum
6 scientists Develop disease- and insect-resistant wheat that can tolerate environmental stresses Leaf Rust Hard Winter Wheat Genetics Research Unit Head Scab Karnal bunt Hessian fly
Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit 7 scientists Conduct research to solve major endemic, emerging, and exotic arthropod-borne disease problems in U.S. livestock
Stored Product Insect Research Unit 7 scientists Develop environmentally friendly and cost-effective methods to control stored-product insect pests
Which stored products do we work with? • Bulk grains in bins and elevators • Milling, processing, and warehouse industry • Transportation industry - railcars, ships • Urban environments - stores, homes
Why work on stored-product insects? • Insects reduce the quality of stored grain and other stored products in the U.S. and throughout the world. • Over 10 billion bushels (254 million metric tons) of corn, 2 billion bushels (54 million metric tons) of wheat, and about a billion bushels (27 million metric tons) of barley, oats, rice, rye, and sorghum are grown in the U.S. each year, with a value of over 44 billion dollars. • It is estimated that postharvest losses to these grains due to insects are 5 to 10% in the U.S., or about 2.2 to 4.4 billion dollars per year. • Losses in developing countries are estimated at 30 to 50%. • Losses to processed commodities are difficult to quantify, but probably greatly exceed the losses to raw commodities. • Many of the insecticides used by the cereal foods industry are being lost due to insecticide resistance or regulatory changes, so we need alternative control technologies.
Dr. Frank Arthur • Integrated Pest Management He conducts studies to determine optimal use of insecticides, particularly reduced-risk insecticides and aerosols, to help industry optimize insecticide use in stored grain and in processing facilities. He investigates effects of various factors such as temperature, relative humidity, and sanitation on efficacy of insecticides.
Dr. Jeff Lord • Insect pathology Many of the reduced-risk 400 30 o C 350 control technologies have 300 lower efficacy than 250 200 conventional insecticides, 150 so we are looking for ways 100 to synergize insect 50 0 pathogens to make them Check Bb more effective, such as 75 DE 43 Bb+DE combining the fungus Beauveria bassiana with diatomaceous earth.
Dr. Paul Flinn • Expert Systems The expert system Stored Grain Advisor was developed to aid in pest management in farm-stored wheat. Stored Grain Advisor Pro was developed to predict risk of insect problems in grain stored at elevators.
Dr. Paul Flinn • Biological control These small parasitic wasps attack beetle larvae in stored grain. He found that by reducing the grain temperature using aeration in the summer, these beneficial insects were 10 times more effective.
Dr. Paul Flinn • Biological control Matt Grieshop was a graduate student studying the behavior and ecology of tiny parasitoid wasps that are used to suppress moth pests in retail environments.
Dr. Jim Throne • Ecology and sampling We conducted a study that showed that the current grain buying practice based on insect-damaged kernels (IDK) is not a reliable indicator of insect infestation in railcars of wheat because there is not a clear relationship between IDK and the insect infestation level present in the grain.
Dr. Jim Throne • Ecology and sampling Entomological applications of near-infrared spectroscopy developed include detection of insect-infested kernels and quantification of insect fragments in flour.
Dr. Jim Throne • Ecology and sampling Insects developing inside kernels can be detected using digital X-ray technology.
X -rays provide the most accurate estimate of internal insect infestation, but the method is laborious and expensive Digital x-ray images obtained with Faxitron MX-20 Lesser grain borers in rice
Digital x-ray images obtained with Faxitron MX-20 Rice weevils in rice
Digital x-ray images obtained with Faxitron MX-20 Lesser grain borers in wheat
Digital x-rays are very rapid, but equipment is expensive and can scan only a 10 X 10 cm (4 X 4 inch) area at a time – ca. 5 grams of wheat or ca. 175 kernels
Electrically Conductive Mill
Electrically Conductive Mill - Commercial version processes 2 kg/min
Electrically Conductive Mill Insect stage Detection rate 2 nd or 3 rd instar 74% 4 th instar or 83% pupae No false positives
Electrically Conductive Mill • High detection rate for large larvae and pupae and 0% false positive rate • Only works for live insects because it measures moisture; this could be a problem for grain that has been fumigated and destined for milling • Able to inspect 2 kg in a minute with no sample preparation • Commercially available
Dr. Jim Throne • Ecology Liposcelis entomophila % of original number of nymphs surviving to adults Current studies are on ecology and control of psocids, an 100 emerging pest of stored grain 80 and processing, warehouse, % surviving to adults and retail facilities, such as 60 determining efficacy of heat, 40 aerosols, and crack and crevice treatments for control 20 or determining optimal 0 temperature and grain type Control Methoprene Carrier EsfenvalerateCombined for development. Aerosol treatments
Most psocid pests of stored products are from the genus Liposcelis - 7 species of Liposcelis and Lepinotus that are pests of stored products have been reported from the U.S.; they don’t have common names and they are difficult to identify to species - Lepinotus reticulatus, Liposcelis bostrychophila, Liposcelis brunnea, Liposcelis corrodens, Liposcelis decolor, Liposcelis entomophila, and Liposcelis paeta - The first two species are parthenogenetic
2005 Psocid trends – 115,059 psocids collected 100 Grain samples 10 Bin 1 - 248 total psocids Bin 2 - 299 total psocids 1 10000 1000 Surface Refuges 100 Bin 1 - 14,829 total psocids 10 log(Number of psocids + 1) Bin 2 - 18,786 total psocids 1 1000 100 Hatch Refuges 10 Bin 1 - 1,427 total psocids Bin 2 - 1,968 total psocids 1 10000 1000 Manual Insector Counts 100 Bin 1 - 45,284 total psocids Bin 2 - 32,218 total psocids 10 10000 1000 Electronic Insector Counts 100 Bin 1 - 29,902 total psocids Bin 2 - 35,153 total psocids 10 Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
We determined how long it takes to kill adult psocids at different temperatures 95% FL Temperature Lepinotus reticulatus Liposcelis entomophila ( o C) (hours) at: LT 95 37.5 90.92 (93.00-102.35) 111.43 (100.19-126.88) 40.0 13.83 (12.59-15.56) 43.52 (39.90-48.23) 42.5 3.84 (3.50-4.36) 9.06 (6.96-15.68) 45.0 0.70 (0.67-0.74) 5.51 (5.16-5.95) 47.5 0.66 (0.63-0.70) 1.89 (1.81-1.99) Psocids appear to be very susceptible to heat, particularly Lepinotus reticulatus , but they are known to leave a facility to escape fumigants
Chlorfenapyr and β -cyfluthrin provided efficient control of Liposcelis bostrychophila and L. entomophila at the label rates, unlike pyrethrin Insecticide Liposcelis LT 95 species (95% FL) [hours] β -Cyfluthrin entomophila 12.5 (11.7-13.6) bostrychophila 15.3 (14.6-16.2) Chlorfenapyr entomophila 5.1 (4.9-5.4) bostrychophila 7.7 (6.9-9.1) Pyrethrin entomophila 102.1 (94.6-112.5) bostrychophila 195.8 (158.3-280.1) Chlorfenapyr is derived from a class of microbially-produced compounds known as halogenated pyrroles; β -Cyfluthrin is a synthetic pyrethroid
Efficacy of sulfuryl fluoride for control of stored-product psocids 100 100 80 80 60 60 40 mor t alit y (%) 40 adult s nymphs 20 20 0 0 0 1 1.5 2 4 6 8 10 12 24 48 96 0 1 1.5 2 4 6 8 10 12 24 48 96 100 80 Mean mor t alit y (% ± SE) of L. 60 paet a adult s, nymphs, and eggs af t er 48 h of exposur e t o SF at 40 eggs var ious doses 20 0 0 1 1.5 2 4 6 8 10 12 24 48 96 SF dose (g/ m3)
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