THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HERMETIC STORAGE METHOD IN THE POPULATION GROUPS NUMBERS OF THE RED FLOUR BEETLETriboliumcastaneum AND SOME PROPERTIES OF STORED GRAIN

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in store insect , laboratory of agriculture college /Uni. Of Baghdad to investigate the efficacy of hermetic storage on the red flour beetle Triboliumcastaneum at 30 and 35C and different exposure periods extended from 5 to 90 days. The results showed that the efficiency of this method had a very high impact on population groups numbers of the insect. It was found that the growth and development of larvae to pupae were completely prevented at all exposure periods between 15-90 days and prevented the insect to get any increase in population numbers in comparison to that in control treatment. In control treatment the population numbers increased to 1310.00 and 939.00 individuals / treatment at 30 and 35 C and 90 days storage period, respectively. The results also indicated a slight loss in grain weights due to the feeding of insects at both degrees of temperature in comparison with weight loss in control treatment. The weight loss in control treatment reached more than 50 folds after 90 days from treatment.It was also found there was no any increase or decrease in moisture content of grains at both degrees of temperature and 5-15 days of exposure, but there was a limited increase in other exposure periods at temperature of 30 C reached between 0.033-0.100% while there was a decrease in moisture content at a temperature of 35Cranged from-0.067 to – 0.433%,while in control treatment the moisture content increased several folds higher than that in hermetic storage treatment. An increase of both temperature degrees and storage period lead to an increase in moisture content of grains in control treatment. Although there was significant differences in the rates of seed germination, but it still accepted within the international standards.