Guard Your Seeds From Storage Pests

Taking care of your crop seeds is just as important as the actual planting and growing of those seeds. Read and review the article below to properly care for and store your seeds before planting them.

Click here to give your seeds the essential organic macro and micro nutrients they need at germination time to produce high quality, and high yield at harvest time.

The quality of stored seeds must always be ensured to produce viable seedlings that grow into healthy plants.

It's no wonder then why seed growers diligently take care of their seeds, especially during storage when the seeds are most vulnerable to pests.

From its end, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), through its engineers led by Engr. Ricardo F. Orge, developed the admixture treatment machine (STM) and sealed storage enclosure for hybrid rice and other seeds (SACLOB). These technologies use locally available materials as cheaper and efficient alternatives to properly preserve seed quality in storage.

Shooing pests with seed treatment

Admixture seed treatment is a method of treating and safeguarding the seeds from storage pests by combining the chemicals applied in the process. The STM is especially designed to optimize the use and efficiency of these chemicals by ensuring the application and absorption of the right amount of solution on the seeds.

The process requires that the seeds are clean and have reached moisture content of 12% or lower. The seeds first pass through the STM with a solution of pirimiphosmethyl (28ml) and deltamethrin (30ml) dissolved in a liter of water. A liter of solution is good for one ton of seeds. From the machine, the seeds directly go to prescribed bags for packing. Bags are properly labeled so that their contents would not be used for food or other purposes.

The chemicals and dosages were based on recommendations of the Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension .

Based on PhilRice experiments, weevil infestation of Mestizo 1 seeds occurred only after six months and was lower by 71% in STM-treated seeds compared with untreated seeds stored at ambient condition.

“It must be noted that the STM is intended to prevent and not to control pests that are already present in the seeds. Such infestation can be dealt with by fumigation (filling an area containing the seeds with gaseous chemicals to poison the pests),” Orge said.

A common notion is that seed treatment involves a significant amount of money. “But while expenses in ambient storage may seem a little lower, savings from diminished seed loss during storage compensates for the cost,” Orge added.

Shielding the seeds with SACLOB

SACLOB comes from the Filipino word saklob which means “cover”. True to its name, SACLOB shields stored seeds from pest infestation.Image

In their paper, Orge and coworker Engr. John Eric Abon described SACLOB as a hermetic or airtight seed storage enclosure made of tarpaulin sheets. The 2004 design had top and bottom parts joined together at the seams using a fold-hold-seal mechanism to close.

“Originally, it had a 200-bag (20-kg/bag) capacity. The latest model has a capacity of 48 bags, the average produce from one seed production lot,” Abon said. The size, however, can be adjusted to fit specific requirements of a seed grower.

The recent model is shaped like a box that opens at the top. The sealing mechanism was also improved to a simple fold-hold method to maintain the hermetic condition inside the enclosure.

The mechanism of the enclosure works by lessening the oxygen to kill the insects. The seeds are placed inside the enclosure.

“If properly sealed, the oxygen level inside the enclosure is reduced, often to less than 4%, and the carbon dioxide content increases to a level where aerobic respiration is minimized. This condition impedes the development of the pests,” Orge explained.

“The use of SACLOB must be complemented with an oxygen meter so that if leaks are present (in case the enclosure is accidentally punctured or damaged by rats), it can be detected and immediate measures can be done,” Orge added.

The computed storage cost for the SACLOB prototype is lower than the price of the imported model and the use a cold storage facility by P1.98 and P7.9/bag/month, respectively. The acquisition cost of SACLOB is 93% lower than an imported model and 99% lower than the use of cold storage facilities.

“Considering the comparable performance of SACLOB with the imported version and a cold storage facility, it is worth its cost,” Orge said.

Seed grower cooperatives and other individuals have expressed interest to try SACLOB, especially seed growers in Isabela and Iloilo who have known it from participation in on-site experiments.

“We are planning to expand our on-site experiments to different provinces,” said Engr. Eden Gagelonia, head of the Seed Production and Health Division.

The group expects further refinements after the completion of ongoing tests at the PhilRice Central Experiment Station in Nueva Ecija and in its branch in Agusan.

Worry no more

Come rain or shine, seed growers need not worry on how to store their seeds. With the STM and SACLOB, they can choose the best option that fits their storage needs.

“We recommend the use of STM to farmers or farmer cooperatives with existing seed cleaning facilities. A chemical-free and environment-friendly alternative, SACLOB is best suited to conditions where seeds, if not used up for planting, can be milled and consumed as food,” Orge said.

At the moment, Orge’s group is testing other cheap materials that can preserve the quality of seeds.

“We will continue to explore resources we have to give our seed growers and farmers cheaper but equally effective storage technologies,” Orge said.

With knowledge and a little creativity, seed storage need not be expensive at all.

By Open Academy

Click here to give your seeds the essential organic macro and micro nutrients they need at germination time to produce high quality, and high yield at harvest time.