Insect Pests in Stored Products Overview

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Insect Pests in Stored Products

Department of Entomology

Designing and Disseminating

Better Health and Nutrition

Practices

Enhancing

Well-Being

Building and

Protecting Global

Food Systems

Enabling Impactful

Technologies

DECODING NATURE

Kansas State University Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activities and Discovery Strengths

Overview

Cereal grains and oilseeds are grown on large acreages of land worldwide, and the grains are then stored in large regional

silos, bins, and bunkers, where they are at risk of infestation by many pests. Phosphine gas is a commonly used pesticide. This fumigant kills insects living in the grain then dissipates, leaving no harmful residues in the food or the environment. Several species have recently evolved resistance to phosphine gas. K-State researchers have conducted geographic surveys for phosphine resistance, developed genetic markers to study the spread of resistance in two species, and are developing simple tests for grain managers and commercial fumigators to determine if resistance is present in their grain insects.

Methyl bromide was used for years to dis-infest buildings and food products such as dried cured

hams and aged cheeses, but an international agreement has banned it to protect earth’s ozone layer. K-State researchers are developing alternative methods of control and management of the ham mite, a persistent arthropod pest.

Impact

Fighting post-harvest damage and loss is crucial to building and protecting global food systems and ensuring that we can feed the world’s population, which is projected to be 9 billion by 2050. Adopting a broad view of understanding phosphine resistance

is helping K-State entomologists decode nature and may lead to alternative pesticides. In the meantime, entomologists are helping grain managers and commercial fumigators develop better tests for resistance and better resistance management practices.

Impactful technologies aren’t always complicated. In an effort to develop alternative methods to control and manage ham mites, K-State entomologists developed a simple trap to monitor the presence and population size of mites by location and over time. Data from traps helps food processors and retailers plan control efforts. K-State researchers have also developed coatings using non-toxic food additives that inhibit infestation of treated hams by mites; tested pesticide spray products that can be applied to floors, walls, and machines to keep mites away from foods; and explored non-chemical methods such as extreme temperatures to dis-infest products.

About Kansas State University

Kansas State University was established in 1863 as the nation’s first operational land-grant university. We’ve held firmly to the landgrant philosophy of serving our world through discovery and innovation. Today, the university is on its way to becoming a Top 50 public research university by 2025 through supporting, encouraging, and growing our research efforts.

Important points in time for K-State

Research

1887 built to analyze horticultural and entomological subjects

1863 Kansas State University founded

Agricultural Experiment Station

1944

1967

First U.S. patent application filed for a plastic container for frozen foods

Alf Landon Lecture

Series on Public Issues established

1997 Hale Library expansion completed

2015 National Bio and

Agro-Defense Facility groundbreaking

RECENT SUCCESSES:

$184.9 million

in FY2014 research expenditures

14 patents

granted in 2014

4 USAID

Feed the Future Innovation Labs

1,000 research grants in FY2014

$473.9 million in FY2014 endowment more than

4,300

graduate students

Office of the

Vice President for Research

k-state.edu/research

@KState_RSCAD

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