Inventory of the Main Insect Pests Stored Foodstuffs

In Guinea, agricultural production is generally carried out by small-scale farmers and consists mainly of cereals, oilseeds, roots, tubers, and fruit crops. The storage and post-harvest preservation of these crops remain a major problem. Survey missions conducted in the various prefectures across the four natural regions revealed that harvested products are stored in a variety of closed traditional granaries, constructed primarily from locally available materials. In addition to these granaries, storage methods include sacks, farm-scale metal silos, jars, and canaries; at the community level, modern infrastructure also exists. The majority of post-harvest losses are attributable to insects; laboratory analysis of the various samples collected identified about twenty species of insect pests, including 14 primary pests and associated insects. Alternative methods for protecting foodstuffs were discussed, as were treatment techniques using appropriate contact insecticides.

Pagina's: 56, Paperback, Our Knowledge Publishing