Dr. S. Mohan

Food grains are stored for varying periods to ensure proper and balanced public distribution throughout the year.  Among the biotic and abiotic factors which affect grains / seeds in storage, insect plays a major role in the deterioration of grains / seeds causing both qualitative and quantitative losses.

 

Often the presence of insects in store houses are felt only whenThey are hovering and flying around, by which time enormous loss and population build up of insects might have occurred.  Hence, timely detection of the stored grain insects will help to prevent heavy losses.  

 

TNAU is one of the pioneering institutes in India in the development of detection devices for stored grain insects.  These devices exploit the wandering behaviour of the insects and help in timely detection of insects in stored produce leading to timely control.  These include TNAU probe trap, TNAU pit fall trap, two in one model trap, indicator device, Automatic insect removal bin, UV-light trap technology, Stack probe trap and Insect egg removal device.  These devices have been widely used in many places and have received State and National recognitions.

 

Hence, the Department of Agricultural Entomology, Centre for Plant Protection Studies, TNAU, Coimbatore has developed a 'KIT' named as TNAU-Stored Grain Insect Pest Management Kit containing prototypes of all the devices along with a CD-Rom about the devices and how to use them.  This kit will be of great use in popularization of the technologies across the country.   The kit will be an ideal hands on training tool for Education, Extension centers (KVK, Plant clinic, save grain centers) and also for private ware housing.  This TNAU kit is the first of its kind in the world.