{"id":5908,"date":"2015-05-01T14:45:35","date_gmt":"2015-05-01T04:45:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ppmmagazine.com.au\/?p=5908"},"modified":"2022-10-13T06:42:58","modified_gmt":"2022-10-12T20:42:58","slug":"grain-fumigation-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/professionalpestmanager.com\/nz\/pest-control-treatments\/grain-fumigation-update\/","title":{"rendered":"GRAIN FUMIGATION UPDATE"},"content":{"rendered":"

John Field<\/strong> from Fumigation Training and Consulting Services outlines the process of using fumigants against stored product pests.\u00a0<\/em>
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Fumigation is the process of controlling pests using gaseous pesticides.<\/p>\n

You will notice that we refer to \u2018control\u2019 not \u2018management\u2019 when referring to fumigation outcomes \u2013 that means zero tolerance. If a fumigation technician does not achieve control the client will ultimately look to the fumigator\u00a0to compensate for the client\u2019s losses.<\/p>\n

Fumigation of grain is the only readily available method\u00a0to rectify insect infestations that most often occur during preparation, harvesting, in-loading and long-term storage. Fumigation is also the sole method of disinfesting obviously infested grain without actually moving it.<\/p>\n

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Wheat infested with lesser grain borer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A fumigant is \u201cA gaseous pesticide which is lethal to organisms (insects, animals, plants, fungi) if they are exposed to a sufficient gas concentration, for a sufficient length of time\u201d. If one or more of these elements are missing, or are insufficient, then the fumigation will most likely fail. For some fumigants, this could result in resistant insect strains being developed, while other failed fumigations will simply result in the target insect surviving the treatment. In some cases you cannot re-fumigate using the same product\/ fumigant as you will destroy the commodity being treated.<\/p>\n

The differences between methods of grain fumigation are related primarily to the type of fumigant initially applied to the grain mass. The most common fumigation enclosures used for treatment of stored grain in Australia include; silos, containers, sheeted stacks (pallets of bagged commodity under fumigation sheets), bunkers (really large volumes of bulk grain under fumigation sheets), sealed sheds and ship holds. The most common fumigants currently being used include \u2013 phosphine in various forms and preparations including Eco2Fume, Methyl bromide (totally restricted to quarantine pre-shipment), and in the last few years, Vapormate and Profume (sulfuryl fluoride) have been approved.<\/p>\n

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Silos must be gas-tight structures to retain a sufficient concentration of fumigant for the required period of time<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most fumigants must be applied by a licensed fumigation technician. There must also be a second person onsite, also equipped with the appropriate PPE (full face gas respirator with a gas canister specific to the fumigant being used, or\u00a0an SCBA unit), while the fumigation technician is actually within the \u2018risk area\u2019 (3m if an outside enclosure and 6m if the enclosure is within a building). Some gasses specify a SCBA unit be worn due to the nature of the gas. No licensed fumigation technician can be legally within a risk area without another responsible person being present and if unlicensed no person can be within the designated risk area unless in the presence of a licensed technician.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately a few forms of phosphine tablets are still legally available to untrained and unlicensed growers. This is one of the main causes of the development and spread of resistant strains of grain insects since untrained applicators generally do not understand the processes involved, or have the equipment required to undertake and monitor\u00a0a successful fumigation. Some fumigators also fall into\u00a0this category, but thankfully their numbers are lessening\u00a0as a result of licensing requirements, government agency audits, and clients (both onshore and offshore) demanding successful treatments.<\/p>\n

Licensing requirements unfortunately vary between each state but the common baseline requirement is National Competency Unit CPPPMT3011A Conduct fumigation, plus any additional state and territory requirements.<\/p>\n

The current licensing requirements are:<\/p>\n