Mineral dusts protect stored pulses from beetle damage without chemicals
Pest Management
If you grow or store dried beans, lentils, or chickpeas at home, inert dusts like diatomaceous earth offer a non-toxic way to keep pulse beetles from destroying your harvest over winter.
Pulse beetles are tiny insects that lay eggs in stored beans and peas, with larvae destroying the seeds from the inside out. Scientists compared three powdery mineral substances to see which best stopped these beetles in stored green gram and chickpea. The dusts work by damaging the beetle's outer shell so it dries out, and the study found clear differences in how well each dust performed and how long its protection lasted.
Key Findings
Three inert dusts were compared for their ability to kill and repel Callosobruchus chinensis beetles on two pulse crops: green gram and chickpea.
The dusts differed in both efficacy (kill rate) and persistence (how long protection lasted), indicating material choice significantly affects storage outcomes.
Inert dusts present a chemical-free, residue-safe alternative to conventional insecticides for small-scale or organic pulse storage.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers tested three inert dusts as alternatives to chemical pesticides for protecting stored green gram and chickpea from pulse beetles. Some dusts proved effective and long-lasting, offering a safer, residue-free option for grain storage.
Species Mentioned
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The mung bean or green gram is a plant species in the legume family. It is mainly cultivated in East, Southeast, and in South Asia and used as an ingredient in both savoury and sweet dishes.