Protecting grain and silos from insect infection is an important factor to be aware of. “Clearly millers want high quality, consistent grain,” says Martin Savage, trade policy manager, National Association for British and Irish Millers (nabim), United Kingdom, but this is not always acknowledged by farmers.
3. P
rotecting grain and silos from insect
infection is an important factor to
be aware of. “Clearly millers want
high quality, consistent grain,” says Martin
Savage, trade policy manager, National
Association for British and Irish Millers
(nabim), United Kingdom, but this is not
always acknowledged by farmers.
“There are some perceptions amongst
farmers that millers carry out a degree of
physical cleaning of the grain after it leaves the
farm. We do process it, by removing dust and
foreign bodies, but the grain itself is basically
in the same condition as when it arrives,”
says Savage. Ken Black, national account man-
ager for rural hygiene, Bayer, United Kingdom,
advocates a pro-active, preventative approach
when protecting grain. “This is nothing new
and should be the case every year, however
the need is emphasised this year given the
lateness of the agricultural calendar this spring.
“Predictions are that 70-80 percent of
farmers still won’t have done their fabric of
the building treatment by June,” says Black.
“For this reason, we are actively promoting
the benefits of ensuring treatments are made
up to two months prior to harvest, ahead
of what could be another challenging year.”
Good grain store practices
With this in mind, Savage says that pro-
moting good grain store practices amongst
suppliers is very important; a factor that
offers pay back on a number of levels.
“Primarily there’s the management of the
Pestcontrolacross the supply chain
Pest control
in storage
Following last year’s poor
harvest experience
in the United
Kingdom, there’s
a clear recognition
that every grain
counts. A planned
approach is
proving key in
maximising output
from the supply
chain
1
Grain&feed millinG technoloGy32 | may - June 2013
5. store to keep moisture and temperature
levels down; they themselves can damage
the grain, but they can also lead to other
problems such as moulds and secondary
insect infestation.”
The process for controlling this starts at
a very early stage and begins with thorough
store cleaning and ensuring that any residues
of grain from the previous year are removed
and treatments are applied where necessary.
Black echoes Savage’s comments, noting
that in a late cereals season when there are
many other farm work pressures, there is a
risk that good store hygiene will slip down
the priority list, yet it must not be forgotten.
“An early application of a grain treatment
product to the fabric of the building will
ensure that the store is protected against
any previous insect infestations or re-
infestations later on in the season,” says
Black. “It offers the peace of mind that
everything is being done to protect their
valuable stored crops.”
Savage explains that working closely with
farmers to strongly advocate the cleaning of
the store and the measures carried out to rid
them of any insects, prior to the grain being
introduced at harvest is key. “The penalties
at stake are really too high not to prioritise
these measures because our customers are
very sensitive about pesticide residues, so we
really encourage thorough store preparation
in the first instance.”
He appreciates that in order to fully
protect the grain, a treatment will need to be
applied to the product once it’s in store and
he’s aware of customer concerns surround-
ing this. That said, Savage acknowledges
that if insecticide treatments are carried
out properly and in accordance with the
labels then it’s a reasonable and necessary
approach.
Thoroughly modern
treatments
Black explains that the Maximum
Residue Level (MRL) for deltameth-
rin - the active contained in Bayer’s
grain store treatment, K-Obiol® is
2 mg/kg. “A significant advantage
of K-Obiol® is that when either of
its formulations are applied at their
recommended rate, the residue
level is only 0.25 mg/kg - 8 times
lower than the MRL.
“This is something we’re keen
to communicate to millers, because
we understand the legitimate con-
cerns they and their customers
have regarding pesticide residues,
which is why, K-Obiol® has been
formulated to have such a low
MRL,” says Black.
K-Obiol® is formulated to con-
trol a wide range of stored crop
insects, including grain weevils, flour
beetles, grain borers, saw-toothed
grain beetles, and flying insects too.
It’s available in two modern pyre-
throid formulations, both containing
the active ingredient, deltamethrin.
K-Obiol® EC25 has been formu-
lated to treat the fabric of grain
silos and storage facilities prior to
the introduction of grain. K-Obiol®
EC25 can also be used as an admix-
ture, post-harvest and will offer up
to 12 months protection. The sec-
ond formulation, K-Obiol® ULV6,
is also designed to be used as an
admixture, post-harvest.
Black explains that this treat-
ment offers a number of key ben-
efits. “As well as having an incredibly
low MRL, K-Obiol® also offers no
with-holding period. Other similar
treatments commonly have a with-
holding period of at least 90 days,
meaning that the grain can’t be
processed until three months after
the application. Grain treated by
K-Obiol® can be processed straight away.”
K-Obiol’s other key advantage lies
within its active ingredient deltamethrin.
“Competitor products often contain actives
from the organophospate chemical family,”
says Black. “This is old chemistry now and
has been heavily used over the past years.
Some strains of beetles and weevils are now
resistant to this and require a further applica-
tion of a pyrethroid insecticide or fumiga-
tion to achieve full control, heightening the
amount of chemical applied to the grain and
therefore increasing the residue risk.”
Peter Crowden is a specialist pest con-
troller at Rutland Pest Control and sits
on the NPTA (National Pest Technicians
Association) board. Peter specialises in pest
control on arable farms and explains that
K-Obiol® is his product of choice.
“We’re confident in using both K-Obiol®
EC25 as a treatment to the fabric of the
ImagecourtesyofAlphaFumigationServicesLtd
Grain&feed millinG technoloGy34 | may - June 2013
FEATURE
6. building and K-Obiol® ULV6 as a grain
ad-mixture,” says Crowden. “Deltamethrin
does not significantly penetrate the grain,
therefore providing confidence that the MRL
will not be exceeded.”
Financial implications
While flour millers do hold some weight
when advising on methods of best practice,
Crowden believes that the biggest incentive
for growers to protect their grain is the
financial implications associated with having
their wheat rejected due to insect infesta-
tions. “The mere presence of insects at
mills is unacceptable because they will make
it through the cleaning and sieving proc-
esses and can turn up in the final products.
Generally speaking, the presence of any
insect leads to rejection.”
Savage says that in the event of insects
being present, the grain is likely to be
returned to the farmer. Not only will he not
get paid for that delivery, he’ll also have to
cover the haulage cost. Failing that, it might
get used for animal feed and therefore
attract a far lower price.” Savage adds that
understandably, farmers are aware of this,
and mills do make it very clear.
“nabim and MAGB represent proces-
sors on the boards of Red Tractor and the
Scottish Quality Crops (SQC) so we can
ensure that the standards focus on good
store management and pest control. On
a practical level, mills receiving grain with
insect infestations would report the rejection
to either of those assurance schemes and
they would either carry out an immediate
audit or it would be flagged up for the next
annual audit.”
New infestations
Crowden highlights another financial
implication related to insect infestation. “In
the event of new insect infestations occur-
ring in the stored grain, it will be necessary
to consider the use of ad-mixed insecticide
such as, K-Obiol® EC25, or K-Obiol®
ULV6. Another approach is aluminium phos-
phide fumigation, but use of this method
is reliant on whether or not it is permitted
by the end markets. Fumigation is a very
expensive option, it can often cost anything
up to £5 per tonne. “In contrast, treatment
with K-Obiol® EC25 is around 62-65 p per
tonne and will provide up to 12 months
protection when used as an ad-mixture,”
he says.
From a pest controller’s point of view,
Crowden is in agreement with Black and
Savage. He warns that growers need to deal
with any pest issues before the 2013 crop
is harvested, or face severe impairment to
grain quality. “This will result in the loss of
grain, lost quality premiums and the pos-
sibility of a load being rejected due to insect
infestation.”
Supply chain strategy
With this in mind, it would appear that
the key for success in these challenging
times is strategy. It begins with an early,
proactive response to preparing the grain
store, well in advance of the harvest. It
then continues into how farmers treat the
grain once it’s in the store. The strategy
then extends into how the growers decide
to market their product.
In the United Kingdom, such a strate-
gic marketing approach is advocated by
the cereals and oilseed rape levy board,
the HGCA. “They encourage farmers
to market their cereal proactively and
according to a plan,” says Savage. “This
may involve selling some of the grain early
in the season, a further quantity mid-way
through the year and some at the end of
the season. Essentially this means produc-
ers will be able to spread their price risk
where they have the confidence that grain
is protected for the full 12-month cycle.
This is a win-win situation as, from a milling
point of view, it helps to ensure a continu-
ous supply of high-quality, insect free grain
throughout the season.
More inforMation:
Website: www.pestcontrol-expert.com
Grain&feed millinG technoloGy may - June 2013 | 35
grain silos hoppered silos
Offices and Factory:
Ctra. de Arenas km. 2,300
13210 Villarta de San Juan • Ciudad Real- Spain
T: +34 926 640 475 • F: +34 926 640 294
Madrid Office:
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T: +34 91 726 43 04 • F: +34 91 361 15 94
www.symaga.com
symaga@symaga.com
FEATURE
7. W
e have around 100 years of
experience in fumigating
to disinfest ships and their
cargoes. These days the use of phosphine
gas in bulk grain shipments, or consign-
ments, is not unusual, and is often seen
as an efficient use of the ship and time,
arranging the fumigation to take place
during a cargo’s voyage, using the vessel
itself as a mobile, floating fumigation
chamber. However, as with on-land bulk
grain fumigations, certain safety precautions
must be observed to maintain a satisfacto-
ry level of safety for all involved - the pest
control contractor (fumigator), the ship’s
crew during the voyage, and the staff
involved in discharging the fumigated cargo
at the final destination port. The legal and
safety requirements are detailed in several
official documents, which are available to
everyone involved in this process:
Fumigation
Health and safety guidance for employ-
ers and technicians carrying out fumigation
operations, HSE’s document ISBN 978 0
7176 2999 2 - HSG251
Recommendations on the safe
use of pesticides in ships
The United Nations International
Maritime Organisation (IMO) Safety of Life
at Sea (SOLAS) Convention places an obli-
gation on all governments to ensure all ship-
ping activities are carried out safely. The use
of pesticides includes the fumigation of cargo
spaces and of cargo, in port, or in-transit, and
any part of the ship so affected by their use, as
contained in the IMO’s Recommendations on
the Safe Use of Pesticides in Ships, Applicable
to the Fumigation of Cargo Holds
What are the risks with
phosphine fumigation?
These two documents together are
extensive and comprehensive. Everyone
involved in the fumigation of bulk grain and
other cargoes, from the loading of the vessel
to be fumigated, to the handling of the grain/
commodity being discharged from the vessel
after in-transit fumigation, should be aware
of their responsibilities to ensure it is as safe
an activity as possible. Responsibilities vary
with the activity during the fumigation pro-
cedure, but everyone must take the subject
and their part in it seriously. Perhaps because
phosphine has been in use for several
decades, and in general is a less equipment-
heavy application method, many people
involved tend to take it for granted and
assume that safety is built-in to the activity.
It is worth reminding everyone involved in
phosphine fumigation, of the lethal potential
of these ‘easy-to-use little tablets’ and the
other formulations:
Phosphine gas (PH3) is never kept under
pressure in cylinders, as methyl bromide
used to be, because it will explode. It is gen-
erated on-site by water vapour reacting with
the solid metal phosphides. So you will see
tablets similar in size to Alka Selzer. This is
the only similarity to the effervescent antacid,
which we all know because PH3 is a deadly
poisonous gas.
This is a major problem. When methyl
bromide was in use, everyone knew it
was a deadly gas, with lots of stories of
workers being off work with foot or chest
problems when the gas seeped into boots
and wellingtons, or it was breathed in,
undetected, damaging and sometimes lethal
lung problems.
With methyl bromide, we were never
allowed to sail a vessel ‘under gas’. The
fumigation was completed at the quayside,
with all but a few vital crew, on-shore in
local hotels. But times have changed (not
necessarily for the better). I suspect it is due
to considerable pressure from all ends of
the grain trade, but we now regularly see
grain cargoes travelling the oceans under
phosphine fumigation. This situation would
be OK if everyone involved understood
and followed all the safety rules. But this is
clearly not the case, as several mistakes and
accidents have shown in recent months.
Government safey services
Over recent years the Health & Safety
Executive (HSE) has greatly reduced its
interest in and involvement with inland fumi-
gations. During the annual BPCA Fumigation
Diploma Course, HSE always explained the
standards and expectations in fumigation.
This has gradually ceased coinciding with the
phasing out of methyl bromide. The normal
grain trade has not seen any problems
in fumigating grain stocks in silos and flat
storages across the land, but we no longer
see an HSE overview, or any HSE presence
at all, realising finally last year that HSE no
longer has a single specialist to advise on
fumigations issues. They have, in association
with the BPCA, produced and revised their
Guidance Notes, and this is now available as
a downloadable free publication (ISBN 978 0
by Mike Kelly, Acheta,
United Kingdom
Image 2: Hatch cover resting where it landed
Pest control
in transit
Grains on the move are
not immune from
pest problems.
Transportation time
can be effectively
used to solve this
issue, but does
come with its own
set of challenges
2
Grain&feed millinG technoloGy36 | may - June 2013
FEATURE
9. HSE, IMO and Coastguard Agency all working
to the same standard and expectation.
Methyl bromide requires about 24 hours
to work, occasionally up to 48 hours, then
the cargo can be ventilated and off-loaded
or otherwise handled.
Phosphine is a much slower-acting fumi-
gant, not just in its generation from solid
metal phosphides, but also in its action on
the target pests, particularly insects and
mites. Despite the much higher concentra-
tions in most cargo fumigations, insects
and mites take days to succumb. To work
effectively the fumigation usually extends at
least 5-10 days. This is not just to make life
more difficult for the grain trade, but it is a
biological fact of insect life. Insects can often
survive more than a week at concentrations
which would kill humans in minutes.
So methyl bromide works quickly,
destroys the ozone layer, has never had a
problem of resistance, and is ‘safe’ up to 5
ppm, and was done in-port.
Phosphine takes days, sometimes weeks
depending on species and temperature, has
quite a range of species showing serious
resistance, and is ‘safe’ only up to 0.1 ppm
(or 0.2 ppm for 15 minutes) and is usually
done at-sea.
Remember: Methyl bromide should
never be used for fumigation in-transit (IMO
Recommendations, Annex 1D).
Weighing up the dangers
It is very easy to look at this and say that
here is money talking. It is far too costly to
hold a vessel in port whilst the fumigation is
conducted and completed, over maybe 15
days with all crew safe on shore, than to
allow the ship to sail with a much more
hazardous gas in use, but utilizing the
voyage time as an important component
to get the best fumigation done at the
same time.
Through most of the world, we have
almost or actually, lost methyl bromide
for sound environmental reasons, but
the simple tablet or sachet or plate
generating phosphine gas is generating
a gas more lethal to humans than many
people realise. Not quite completed
fumigation sleeves left on a wet deck
could easily kill people. Working in a
hold before all gas has been vented and
a genuine clearance certificate issued by
a technically knowledgeable fumigator,
could be the last work a person does.
Phosphine really is a more danger-
ous gas than
methyl bromide
was, though
all fumigants
are hazardous
to man. The
human safe
limit of 0.1 ppm
compared to 5
ppm tells it all,
and is not just
a silly over-reac-
tion. It is agreed
throughout the
western world,
and the United
States that this
very low level
is the only safe
level to work to.
My concern
is to see work-
ers not taking the
tablets, sachets
and sleeves and
plates seriously,
just because they
look innocuous.
We don’t need a
lot of scientific detail,
about the differences
between these formulations - they all pro-
duce Phosphine - sometimes quicker, some-
times slower, but it is always a toxic hazard
to man, and correct actions are needed to
keep everyone involved safe.
Gas detecting and measuring equipment
must be available on board, and those who
need to use it must have received suitable
training. Gas testing must take place during
the voyage to ensure that areas where crew
members will work or sleep are free from
dangerous levels of the gas. The ventilation
system and procedures must provide a safe
to handle cargo at the port of discharge,
and usually this is managed by the profes-
sional fumigator contracted to service the
fumigated cargo.
Just before I close, please also remem-
ber that phosphine gas can self-ignite at
higher concentrations, another reason to
handle it with care and technical under-
standing. A cargo of bulk wheat loaded
in the south of France for Iran, when the
cargo was very warm and the ambient
humidity was high, blew the 20-tonne
hatch covers off by exploding and break-
ing the cleats. Only the derricks stopped
the hatch falling into the sea, which was
fortunately calm so no more damage was
incurred and the vessel could return to a
port for repairs (Images 2, 3, 4).
Accident overview
Release of phosphine gas
alongside Warrenpoint,
Northern Ireland
On December 5, 2012, the general cargo
vessel Arklow Meadow was discharging
her cargo of maize alongside the timber
berth at Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland.
Fumigation retainers (socks) had been
placed on top of her cargo before the
vessel had sailed from Nikatera, Ukraine.
Although the vessel had been certified to
commence cargo operations by a shore-
side tank inspector after he had tested
the atmosphere in the upper parts of the
holds, the fumigant retainers were not
removed from the holds when discharge
operations commenced.
As a result, some of the fumigant retainers
were removed by the crew and some
were shipped into the shore hoppers. The
retainers removed by the crew started
to smoke profusely, and a retainer burst,
spilling its contents when it was removed
from the hopper. The smoking retainers
triggered a major emergency response
situation within the port and nine people
were taken to hospital for treatment for
the exposure to ‘poison’.
Provided by MAIB March2013
More Information:
Website: www.acheta.co.uk
Image 4: Lightly toasted wheat!’ after
explosion and surface flame in the hold
Image 3: Testing for
gas, after the event
Fumigation specialist on vessel
Arklow Meadow during the
emergency
Grain&feed millinG technoloGy38 | may - June 2013
FEATURE
10. Grain&feed millinG technoloGy may - June 2013 | 39
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Seven steps to success
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FEATURE
11. www.gfmt.co.uk
LINKS
• See the full issue
• Visit the GFMT website
• Contact the GFMT Team
• Subscribe to GFMT
A subscription magazine for the global flour & feed milling industries - first published in 1891
INCORPORATING PORTS, DISTRIBUTION AND FORMULATION
In this issue:
• Additives
for flour
standardisation
Part II:
Additives other than
enzymes
• High efficiency
elevator
buckets:
modern vs
traditional
design
• Feed focus
Poultry
• Assessing
nutritional value
with NIR
May-June2013
• ‘Kill step’
validation of
low-moisture
extrusion
• Adding value to
feed milling
with profit-oriented feed
formulation
• Pest control
across the supply
chain
first published in 1891
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