Botanicals as Grain Protectants

Abstract

Prevention of food losses during postharvest storage is of paramount economic importance. Integrated pest management is now a widely accepted strategy in pest control including postharvest infestation control which involves the use of chemical (contact/residual) insecticides along with fumigants. The use of synthetic chemical insecticides is either not permitted or used restrictively because of the residue problem and health risks to consumers. In view of the above, there is a need for plants that may provide potential alternatives to the currently used insect control agents as they constitute a rich source of bioactive molecules. Available literature indicates that plant could be source for new insecticides. Therefore, there is a great potential for a plant-derived insecticidal compounds. This paper focuses on the current state of the botanical insecticides as grain protectants and its mode of action.

Botanicals to Cope Stored Grain Insect Pests: A Review

“…Insect damages include direct consumption of kernels, detritus of exuviae, webbing, and cadavers thereby makes the grain unfit for human consumption and also reduce quality and quantity. Insect infestation manipulate the storage environment resulted in development of hotspots which are congenial for the proliferation of storage fungi and other harmful micro flora (Rajashekar et al, 2012).…”

Lantana camara: An alien weed, its impact on animal health and strategies to control

“…In India because of human health concerns and environmental hazards the insecticides are never mixed with grains, and biofumigants are often proven as very good model against the insects and have no risk of cross resistance as well (Rajashekar et al, 2012a;Rajashekar et al, 2012b). The extracts obtained from different parts of lantana have many beneficial properties like anthelminthic, antibacterial, anti-ulcerogenic, anti-inflammatory, termiticidal, antifungal, antiprotozonal, antipyretic and many more (Siddiqui et al, 1995;Barre et al, 1997;Kumar et al, 2006;Rajesh & Suman, 2006;Hussain et al, 2011;Sousa & Costa, 2012).…”

Preparation and characterization of neem oil nanoemulsion formulations against <i>Sitophilus oryzae</i> and <i>Tribolium castaneum</i> adults

“…Insect infestations could lead to warm and moist spots that create conditions suitable for fungal growth, leading to further grain loss. 1) Among the 600 species of reported beetle pests, the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), and the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), are the most destructive of stored products in different parts of the world, and they cause both qualitative and quantitative damage to various types of grains. 2) Along with the occurrence of plant diseases and pests, chemical control has been considered as one of the most important strategies in the control and reduction of damage and plant loss in agricultural production worldwide.…”