CRC Press Insect Pests of Stored Grain: Biology, Behavior, and Management Strategies (Postharvest Biology and Technology)

Stored products of agriculture and animal origin are attacked by more than 600 species of beetles, 70 species of moths, and about 355 species of mites, causing huge quantitative and qualitative losses and insect contamination in food commodities. This is an important quality control problem. This book, Insect Pests of Stored Grain: Biology, Behavior, and Management Strategies, provides comprehensive coverage of stored product entomology for the sustainable management of insects and other noninsect pests, such as mites, birds, rodents, and fungi, with the aim to mitigate and eliminate these losses of food from grains. The author, who has studied sustainable and herbal management of stored grain and seed insect pests in his research, considers sustainable management of stored grain insect pests and eco-friendly approaches along with the utilization of waste materials. Starting with a history of stored product entomology from the beginning to the modern era in detail along with an introduction of storage entomology, the book then goes on to cover a range of important issues, including Significant developments in the field of storage entomology Classification and identification of important stored grain insects Major stored product coleopteran and lepidopteran insects that infest stored commodities Estimation of losses caused by stored grain insect pests Factors responsible for infestation of stored grain insects Different storage structures Alternative methods for the management of stored grain insects by utilization of behavior modification techniques or utilization of secondary metabolites of plants Fumigation of stored grains for the protection of infestation Insect Pests of Stored Grain: Biology, Behavior, and Management Strategies covers a vast amount of valuable information on stored product entomology for the sustainable management of insects and other noninsect pests. About the Author Ranjeet Kumar, PhD, is an Assistant Professor cum Junior Scientist in the Post-Graduate Department of Entomology at Bihar Agriculture University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India. Dr. Kumar has worked on stored product entomology for the sustainable and herbal management of stored grain and seed insect pests, investigating several herbal fumigants for the sustainable management of stored grain and seed insect. He has published several books and a manual on the topic as well as authored over 20 research papers in national and international journals. He has also published 19 popular articles in magazines and periodicals. Dr. Kumar is life member or fellow of several scientific committee and societies. He received an award from an international conference on entomology at Punjabi University in Punjab.