Preserving Wheat Seed Quality: Low-Level Ozone Fumigation as a Strategy Against Khapra Beetle Damage | ||
| مجله علوم و صنایع غذایی ایران | ||
| Volume 23, 171-ویژه نامه, February 1405, Pages 96-103 PDF (413.43 K) | ||
| Document Type: مقاله پژوهشی | ||
| DOI: 10.48311/fsct.2026.117587.82924 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Hussein T M Al-Sharees* 1; Mohammed Sh. Mansor2 | ||
| 1Mesopotamia General Seed Company, Ministry of Agriculture, Baghdad, Iraq | ||
| 2Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tikrit, Tikrit, Iraq | ||
| Abstract | ||
| A laboratory colony was established from field-collected adults and reared on sterilized wheat at 30 ± 2°C, 65 ± 5% RH, and a 0:24 (L:D) h photoperiod. Synchronized third-instar larvae, fourth-instar larvae, and adults (<24 h old) were exposed to 50 ± 5 ppm ozone gas in a sealed 1000 L fumigation chamber at 38 ± 2°C and 49 ± 5% RH. A factorial completely randomized design (CRD) with life stage and exposure time (0, 6, 12, 18, 24, 48, 72 h) as factors was employed, including a positive control (aluminum phosphide at 3 g/tonne for 72 h). In laboratory bioassays, insects were directly exposed in gas-permeable mesh bags. For simulated storage trials, insect samples were embedded within 10 kg wheat bags inside the fumigation chamber. Mortality was assessed 14 days post-treatment. Results indicated a time-dependent mortality for all stages. Under direct exposure, adults were highly susceptible, reaching 100% mortality within 12 hours. Larval stages were more tolerant, requiring 36 hours to achieve 96.6% mortality. In simulated storage, the efficacy of ozone was attenuated due to reduced penetration, requiring 72 hours of exposure to achieve 100% mortality for both larvae and adults. At 72 hours, ozone efficacy was statistically equivalent to aluminum phosphide for adults and superior for larvae. Seed germination was not adversely affected by any treatment. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Postharvest Technology; Stored Product Protection; Trogoderma granarium; Non-chemical Fumigation; Seed Viability; Sustainable Agriculture | ||
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