Li Wenbo, Yaninek John Stephen, Baributsa Dieudonne
Department of Entomology, Purdue University, 901 W. State St., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
Insects. 2024 Oct 20;15(10):821. doi: 10.3390/insects15100821.
Accelerating oxygen depletion during hermetic storage can minimize pest damage and preserve product quality. This study evaluated the effectiveness of hand warmers in accelerating hypoxia to control insect pests inside hermetic containers. We used one, two, or four hand warmers to deplete oxygen in a 4-gallon hermetic jar with 4 kg of cowpea and cowpea bruchids, alongside a non-hermetic control with cowpea bruchids and no hand warmers. Oxygen levels, insect mortality, egg counts, seed moisture content, and germination rates were monitored over 2, 5, or 8 days of storage. Only the four hand warmers treatment reduced oxygen levels below 1% within 12 h and maintained them for up to 168 h. The other treatments did not achieve this level. Insect mortality was higher with more hand warmers and extended storage duration, reaching 100% after 5 and 8 days with four and two hand warmers, respectively. Similarly, increased hand warmers and extended storage durations reduced egg counts and adult emergence. The treatments did not affect the moisture content or germination rates of the stored cowpea seeds. Hand warmers proved effective in accelerating hypoxia during hermetic storage, resulting in high insect mortality and reduced reproduction, without compromising grain quality.
在密封储存期间加速氧气消耗可以最大限度地减少害虫损害并保持产品质量。本研究评估了暖手宝在加速缺氧以控制密封容器内害虫方面的有效性。我们使用一个、两个或四个暖手宝在装有4千克豇豆和豇豆象鼻虫的4加仑密封罐中消耗氧气，同时设置一个装有豇豆象鼻虫但没有暖手宝的非密封对照。在储存2天、5天或8天的过程中监测氧气水平、昆虫死亡率、虫卵数量、种子含水量和发芽率。只有使用四个暖手宝的处理在12小时内将氧气水平降至1%以下，并维持长达168小时。其他处理未达到该水平。暖手宝数量越多且储存时间越长，昆虫死亡率越高，使用四个和两个暖手宝时，分别在5天和8天后昆虫死亡率达到100%。同样，增加暖手宝数量和延长储存时间可减少虫卵数量和成虫羽化。这些处理对储存的豇豆种子的含水量或发芽率没有影响。事实证明，暖手宝在密封储存期间加速缺氧方面是有效的，可导致高昆虫死亡率并减少繁殖，同时不影响谷物质量。
