Article
Entomology
Yunus Emre Altunc, Paraskevi Agrafioti, Evagelia Lampiri, Ali Guncan, Ioannis T. Tsialtas, Christos G. Athanassiou
Summary: The maize hybrids and planting locations in Northern Greece have a significant effect on the progeny production and damage of Sitophilus zeamais and Prostephanus truncatus in maize. The hybrid 'AGN 672' had the highest progeny production for both beetle species. The percentage of dead adults was affected by planting locations, but not by the tested hybrids and species. The results emphasize the importance of considering planting locations and hybrids when growing maize or conducting susceptibility studies on P. truncatus and S. zeamais.
JOURNAL OF STORED PRODUCTS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Maria C. Boukouvala, Nickolas G. Kavallieratos
Summary: Chlorantraniliprole is an effective compound with high insecticidal activity against Prostephanus truncatus (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae), depending on temperature, dose, and exposure interval.
Article
Agronomy
Anastasios Panagiotakis, Georgia V. Baliota, Christos I. Rumbos, Christos G. Athanassiou
Summary: The study evaluated the effectiveness of a range of insecticides for the control of the larger grain borer. Inert dusts and residual insecticides were tested against the adults of the species. The results showed that the inert dusts had low mortality rates and failed to suppress the progeny production, while the residual insecticides had high mortality rates and significantly suppressed progeny production.
Article
Entomology
G. Baliota, D. S. Scheff, W. R. I. I. I. I. I. I. Morrison, C. G. Athanassiou
Summary: Laboratory tests were conducted to study the population growth of Prostephanus truncatus and Sitophilus oryzae on maize, revealing that temperature plays a crucial role in the competition between these two species. P. truncatus performs better at higher temperatures and outcompetes S. oryzae in terms of progeny production. Based on the results, P. truncatus is inferred to have a competitive advantage as an invasive species in new areas with stored maize.
BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Hannah Quellhorst, Christos G. Athanassiou, Kun Yan Zhu, William R. Morrison
Summary: The invasive larger grain borer, originating from MesoAmerica, has become a devastating stored product pest of maize and cassava in Africa. Research has mainly focused on chemical control, but other tactics such as hermetic storage technologies show promise. Further work is needed to better manage and reduce the impact of this invasive insect pest.
JOURNAL OF STORED PRODUCTS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Maria C. Boukouvala, Nickolas G. Kavallieratos, Erifili P. Nika
Summary: This study examined the efficacy of etofenprox insecticide on concrete surfaces for controlling Prostephanus truncatus, Rhyzopertha dominica, and Trogoderma granarium adults and larvae over a period of six weeks. The results showed that etofenprox had varying levels of immediate and delayed mortality, with the efficacy dependent on the pest species/developmental stages and the time since application. The highest mortality rates were observed for T. granarium adults in the first week, while mortalities decreased over time for all tested species/stages.
JOURNAL OF STORED PRODUCTS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Kimondo Mutambuki, Paddy Likhayo
Summary: Six grain storage technologies were evaluated for insect pest control in maize storage, with hermetic bags and Actellic Gold dust-treated bags showing the most effective protection against insect infestation and weight losses.
BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Erifili P. Nika, Nickolas G. Kavallieratos, Nikos E. Papanikolaou, Chrisovalantis Malesios
Summary: This study compares the performance of Gaussian and Poisson regression models in analyzing the associations of various insects and maize storage under different temperature and humidity conditions. The results show that temperature and humidity have significant effects on the emergence of insects and the damage to maize kernels. The combination of different insect species also leads to varying levels of damage. The Poisson model demonstrates better performance and can be used for analyzing this type of data. The findings can be useful for predicting the damage caused by co-infestations of different species and for differentiating management strategies in storage facilities.
ENTOMOLOGIA GENERALIS
(2022)
Review
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Samuel Yakubu Gariba, Daniel Kwadjo Dzidzienyo, Vincent Yao Eziah
Summary: This study evaluated four plant extracts as protectants for stored maize seeds in Ghana, showing that these botanicals have insecticidal effects against Sitophilus zeamais and Prostephanus truncatus, reducing oviposition and survivorship of the insects. The botanicals also led to decreased damage and weight loss in the seeds, indicating their potential in enhancing seed production and controlling pests in the seed industry.
COGENT FOOD & AGRICULTURE
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Ephantus Nguma, Chandiona Munthali, Daiki Murayama, Kazumitsu Onishi, Masahiko Mori, Rintaro Kinoshita, Shinji Yamashita, Mikio Kinoshita, Masayuki Tani, Mari Palta, Jiwan P. Palta, Hiroshi Koaze, Daigo Aiuchi
Summary: This study aimed to investigate whether the supply of calcium and magnesium-based fertilizers can alter the physicochemical properties of local and hybrid maize varieties and reduce infestation by Prostephanus truncatus during storage. The results showed that the addition of gypsum and dolomite fertilizers increased the hardness and related biochemical properties of maize. Local maize varieties exhibited higher resistance compared to hybrid varieties.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Nileshwari Raju Yewle, Richard L. Stroshine, R. P. Kingsly Ambrose, Dieudonne Baributsa
Summary: Maize is a major crop for human consumption, starch production, and animal feed. Drying maize after harvest in the humid tropics can be challenging, therefore storing maize temporarily under hermetic conditions can help preserve grain quality.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Lien Smeesters, Thomas Kuntzel, Hugo Thienpont, Ludovic Guilbert
Summary: Aflatoxins pose a significant threat to food and feed safety, but current methods of detection are not well-suited for identifying their presence in the food chain. In this study, we developed a non-destructive optical sensing technique based on fluorescence spectroscopy, resulting in a novel compact fluorescence sensing unit. Testing showed that the unit had high sensitivity and successfully classified naturally contaminated maize kernels. This sensing methodology has the potential to greatly enhance food safety.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Eniola O. Oni, Clement A. Komolafe, Amina O. Badmos, Sarafadeen O. Kareem, Mufutau A. Waheed, Flora Oluwafemi
Summary: The study found that variety, type of dryer, and season can affect aflatoxin contamination of maize. Adoption of modern fabricated solar dryers can significantly reduce drying time and control aflatoxin contamination.
JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Krisztina Molnar, Csaba Racz, Tamas Dovenyi-Nagy, Karoly Bako, Tunde Pusztahelyi, Szilvia Kovacs, Cintia Adacsi, Istvan Pocsi, Attila Dobos
Summary: The toxins produced by Aspergillus flavus can inhibit the use of maize. Climate change has made toxin production a problem in European countries, including Hungary. The effects of meteorological factors and irrigation on mould colonization and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) mycotoxin production were investigated.
Article
Entomology
Hannah E. Quellhorst, Tania N. Kim, Kun Yan Zhu, William R. Morrison
Summary: This study evaluated the spatial dispersion behavior of the invasive larger grain borer and the maize weevil in bulk grain storage and found that they tend to aggregate together and change their location over time. Additionally, when both species were present, the damage to maize was reduced and shifted upwards in the grain column.
ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)