Nitrogen-Based Modified Atmosphere Technique for Controlling Pulse Beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus (F) in Stored White Beans

Abstract

Bruchid beetle (Callosobruchus maculatus) is a dangerous pest in stored legumes environment. The present study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of the nitrogen-based modified atmosphere method for combating the bruchid beetle in the managed ecosystem. Besides the control treatment, five laboratory treatments and their replicates were conducted at controlled climatic conditions in 2019 in Egypt. The different oxygen gas concentrations of 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, and 21% O2 were mixed with 98, 95, 92, 89, 86, 79% N2 to form different gas mixtures for the fifth, fourth, third, second, first, and control treatments, respectively, at different exposure times of three, five, and seven days. The adult and egg mortalities were enlarged either by decreasing the concentration of oxygen or by extending the exposure period. The number of newly emerged adults was nearly similar at all the exposure times for all treatments registering no significance of adult emergence variations. The treated stored grains in the fifth treatment achieved 100% egg mortality after seven days of exposure. Seven days of exposure at the rate of 2% O2 were unfavorable conditions for insect growth achieving 100% mortality for the developmental stages of C. maculatus. The lethal concentrations of gases were 2% O2 and 98% N2 at seven days of exposure. The adapted atmospheres of the managed ecosystem with high nitrogen and low oxygen are environmentally friendly insect management techniques for controlling bruchid beetle in stored grains. This research may offer insights for operative stored insect management without any harm to the environment.