Potential for using semiochemicals to protect stored products from insect infestation

Methods of using semiochemicals to control insect pests of stored grain are reviewed. The application of semiochemicals for pest control in grain storage is in its infancy, so each method is considered using some key examples of successful use on a commercial scale against pests from other areas of agriculture, followed by a summary of any laboratory and pilot studies in the stored products area. The benefits and disadvantages of each method for protecting stored products are assessed. The review concludes with a list of approaches that are considered to have potential for improving the protection of stored products. These include attractants for mass trapping, repellents as protective bands and flushing agents, synchronised use of attractants and repellents to manoeuvre pests away from stored grain, and semiochemicals to enhance the effectiveness of biocontrol agents such as parasitoids. Crown Copyright (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.