ARS | Publication request: Automatic monitoring of insect pests in stored grain

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: September 20, 2008
Publication Date: June 1, 2008
Citation: Flinn, P.W., Opit, G.P., Throne, J.E. 2008. Automatic monitoring of insect pests in stored grain. In: Mancini, R., M.O. Carvalho, B. Timlick, and C. Adler (eds) Contribution for Integrated Management of Stored Rice Pests. Handbook. Instituto de Investigacao Cientifica Tropical, Lisbon, Portugal. P. 158-167.

Technical Abstract: Manual sampling of insects in stored grain is a laborious and time consuming process. Automation of grain sampling should help to increase the adoption of stored-grain integrated pest management. To make accurate insect management decisions, managers need to know both the insect species and numbers found in their grain. A new commercial electronic grain probe trap (OPI Insector™) has recently been marketed. We field tested OPI Insector™ electronic grain probes in two bins, each containing 32.6 tonnes of wheat, over a two-year period. Insect species and grain temperature are two important factors that influence trap catch. Thus, an electronic trap needs to be able to estimate the species caught and grain temperature. A statistical model was used to convert Insector™ catch into insects per kg. We compared grain sample estimates of insect density (insects/kg wheat) taken near each Insector™ to the predicted insect density using Insector™ counts and the model. An existing expert system, Stored Grain Advisor Pro, was modified to automatically read the Insector database and use the model to estimate Rhyzopertha dominica density (insects/kg) from trap catch counts assigned to that species, and grain temperature. Management decisions using Insector™ trap-catch estimates for Rhyzopertha dominica density were similar to those made using grain sample estimates of insect density for most sampling dates. The electronic probe trap should prove to be a useful tool for automatically monitoring insect pests in stored grain.