Storage of chickpea grains (Cicer arietinum L.) in triple layer bags prevent losses caused by Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) under laboratory conditions

Highlights

• Hermetic storage of chickpea grains using triple layer bags prevented germination loss, grain damage and weight loss due to pulse beetle up to 6 months of storage.

• When compared to jute bag storage, triple layer bags can avoid the infestation of grains by bruchids as they contain triple layers of air tight storage.

• The triple layer bags has highest benefit cost ratio compared to jute bag storage over 6 months of storage period.

Abstract

Present study envisages the potential of triple layer bags for reducing pulse beetle infestation under laboratory conditions over six months of storage. It was observed that when chickpea grain was stored in jute bags with bruchid infestation, the germination percentage decreased significantly from 84.67 to 18.67% in six months of storage. But, the grain stored in jute bags without infestation the germination percentage decreased from 92.00 to 73.33% only. On the other hand, grains stored in triple layer bags with bruchid infestation, the germination percentage merely decreased from 86.00 to 78.33% in six months of storage and triple layer bags without infestation the germination percentage only decreased from 91.67 to 90.67%. The per cent grain damage over a period of six months storage also increased significantly from 14.54 to 70.67% and 0.00–26.45% in jute bag with bruchid infestation and jute bag without infestation, respectively. However, per cent grain damage in triple layer bags with bruchid infestation increased only from 15.15 to 25.70% and triple layer bags without bruchid infestation showed negligible increase from 0.00 to 2.64% grain damage in six months of storage. The corresponding per cent weight loss of infested grain was increased significantly from 8.51 to 55.67% in six months of storage in jute bag with bruchid infestation and from 0.00 to 15.08% in jute bag without infestation. Whereas, per cent weight loss of infested grain in triple layer bags with bruchid infestation increased only from 7.83 to 15.70 in six months of storage and triple layer bags without bruchid infestation recorded a mere per cent increase in weight loss from 0.00 to 1.48%. Benefit cost ratio showed that grains stored in triple layer bags for 6 months has highest benefit cost ratio (1.23) compared to jute bag storage (0.39).

Introduction

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a good source of energy, protein, minerals, vitamins, fibre and also for some beneficial phyto-chemicals (Wood and Grusak, 2007). India is the largest chickpea producer with 65% of global production (9.07 million tonnes). Other major producing countries are Pakistan, Turkey, Iran, Myanmar, Australia, Ethiopia, Canada, Mexico and Iraq. Amongst pulse crops grown globally, chickpea has consistently maintained a much more significant status which ranked second in area of cultivation (15.3% of total) and third in production (15.42%) (Merga and Haji, 2019). It is a durable crop and the majority of farmers store the crop produce in their homes where bruchid and rodent infestation lead to grains totally damaged. Therefore, proper storage plays a vital role in reducing losses and protecting the grains for further processing (FAO, 2018). Decreasing the postharvest losses, mostly in developing countries, could be a sustainable solution for increasing food supply, eliminating hunger and improving the livelihoods of farmers (Kumar and Kalita, 2017). Pulse beetle is one of the major insect pests among the storage pests of pulses. Mainly three pulse beetle species viz., Callasobruchus maculatus F., C. analis F. and C. chinensis L. have been reported to cause damage to different kinds of pulses in India both in the field and storage conditions (Ramzan et al., 1986). As it is evident that Callosobruchus spp. cause heavy losses every year and affect the economy, suitable control measures should be taken against them. Various physical control measures such as sun drying of grain and chemical pest management strategies such as application of spinosad, deltamentrin, malathion and botanicals are adopted by farmers to preserve their grains (Obeng-Ofori, 2011). These strategies, however, are often not effective for long term storage of grains.

Efforts are being made to minimize the use of harmful insecticides through an alternate approach (Dhanapal et al., 2020) which is proper packaging and storage that are essential for good food grains storage stability. The pulse beetle cannot live without air to breathe and storage in airtight containers is ought to be an effective approach. Triple bagging air tight storage of pulses is easy to use and handle. These triple layer bags consists of two layers of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) surrounded by a polypropylene bag and they provide excellent protection of cowpea grain against pulse beetle (Murdock et al., 2012 and Baoua et al., 2012). They are similarly effective in protecting other stored grain pests including, larger grain borer (Prostephanus truncates) in maize (Njoroge et al., 2014); Bambara ground nut bruchid, (C. maculatus) (Baoua et al., 2012); and mung bean and pigeonpea attacked by pulse bruchids (Callosobruchus spp.) (Baoua et al., 2012 and Mutungi et al., 2014). Hermetic storage technologies such as the triple layer Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS), Super Grain bags, AgroZ bags, Grain Pro cocoons and others are being encouraged as cheap and effective insecticide-free control devices against insect pests in developing countries (Mboya, 2013, Quezada et al., 2006, Villers et al., 2008 and Jones et al., 2011). Use of hermetically sealed bags to control major insect pests works by principle of limiting oxygen entrance to insects, fungi and other microorganisms living inside the stored grain (Fintrac, 2016).Therefore, performance of triple layer bags was compared with that of jute bags under situations simulating storage of grain generally observed in various rural and on-farm storage structures in India having possibilities of re-infestation or cross-infestation and hence, the present investigation was programmed with objective of storage of chickpea grains (Cicer arietinum L.) in triple layer bags to assess prevention of losses caused by pulse beetle, C. maculatus (F.) under laboratory conditions.