Wheat stored in triple layer plastic bags: Protection against the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and the effect of air leaks on hermetic storage

Triple layer bags consisting of two inner layers of 80 micron thick high-density polyethylene (HDPE) surrounded by an outer woven polypropylene bag have proven to be an effective technology for hermetic storage of cowpea and to prevent loss caused by the cowpea bruchid, Callosobruchus maculatus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). This bagging technology is called the Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) system. If PICS bags prove useful for protecting other crops against their insect pests during storage it would allow farmers to store these commodities for longer periods of time to increase personal food availability and market flexibility. Accordingly, PICS bags were tested for efficiency in protecting wheat against rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a common stored grain pest. The performance of the PICS technology compared to the conventional storage practices, which often make use of single polypropylene woven bags. Wheat stored in PICS bags is protected against rice weevil compared with wheat stored in conventional woven sacks. PICS technology is a practical and useful tool for protecting wheat against rice weevil