A GRAIN STORAGE specialist said Australia is hurtling towards a crisis in terms of managing stored grain pests unless there is a more concerted approach to storage protocols.
Peter Botta, PCB Consulting, said recent issues with either under or overuse of grain protectant products on grain turned out from on-farm storage due to be exported highlighted the need for a concerted national approach.
It was not just farmers using incorrect practices such as ‘bombing’ loads headed for port with phosphine immediately prior to delivery, resulting in grain with high residue levels of phosphine that came under attack from Mr Botta.
“There needs to be a system of receival standards that also encourages best practice grain storage at the ports,” he said.
“The practice of not allowing grain treated with anything else but phosphine to be delivered, as is the case at some facilities, places immense pressure on phosphine.
“Already, there is significant pressure with resistance to phosphine emerging and having these sort of provisions does not necessarily encourage best practice.
“It may ensure there are no pest incursions at the facility and the shipping stem is kept open but it is not the long term solution.
He said farmers who had stored the grain correctly in hygienic, gastight silos would still have to treat the grain with phosphine to deliver to some ports whether there was a pest incursion or not.
Industry needed to better match storage systems with end-use outcomes he said.
“The key to better management of stored grain in both the bulk system and in on-farm storage is to match up grain storage options with marketing options,” he said.
“For grain that is to be moved on quickly, silo bags or unsealed storage are fine, so long as the risk of pests is managed, especially in unsealed silos or grain sheds.”
Longer term, Mr Botta said gastight storage was the ultimate solution.
“Growers are storing their grain for increasing amounts of time,” he said.
“To store grain for up to 12 months, the storage system needs to be able to kill insects effectively and maintain grain quality.
“To do this, aerated, gastight storages are easily the best: fumigation, which can be done easily and effectively in gastight silos, kills any insects present and the aeration maintains grain quality.”
Mr Botta said grain protectants could play a role in maintaining grain hygiene.
“There are two products, trade names Conserve on Farm and K-Obiol, that are effective against the lesser grain borer, unlike methoprene-based products.”
“Both these products have strict application requirements which must be adhered too, always read the label to ensure correct use, but they can be used to lessen the reliance on phosphine.”
Mr Botta said Australia’s grain industry relied heavily on phosphine and all sectors needed to work to minimise the risk of phosphine resistant grain pests.
“If we did get large-scale resistance it would be a catastrophe.”
“There is a national working party on grain protection and the industry really needs to listen to what it is saying on these issues.”