Hermetic storage for eco-friendly management of insect pests infesting stored sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

Abstract

Sesame provides excellent food, nutrition, health care, edible oil, and biomedicine. Insect pest infestations in stored sesame have been a problem of major concern in recent years. Two hermetic storage bags, viz., high density polyethylene (HDPE) bag and double layered polythene (DLP) bag, were evaluated alone and in combination with botanical treatment (sweet flag rhizome powder @ 10 g/kg seed) against rice moth and red flour beetle under storage condition in comparison with conventional farmers’ storage bags (jute gunny bag and cloth bag). Among the treatments, sesame seeds stored in HDPE bag with sweet flag rhizome powder and HDPE bag recorded significantly low seed damage due to the pests as compared to sesame seed stored in cloth and jute gunny bags at 6 months after treatment. The study revealed that HDPE bag alone or in combination with sweet flag rhizome powder could be employed as an eco-friendly method for preventing storage insect pests infesting sesame under storage conditions.