There is a need to develop cost-effective, readily adoptable alternatives to phosphine fumigant that will control resistant insects and comply with industry and market standards.

What is the biosecurity problem?

For a range of sound reasons, phosphine fumigant is the major tool used to control insect infestations in harvested grain. The efficacy of this material is now seriously threatened by the development of resistance in many target pests. There is a need to develop cost-effective, readily adoptable alternatives that will control resistant insects and comply with industry and market standards.

The main outputs of this project are to:

• produce outputs that can be readily adopted into commercial operation
• develop a cost-effective nitrogen-based controlled atmosphere technology for protection and disinfestation of stored grain, and
• provide a cost-effective, practical alternative to phosphine fumigation.

Who will be the end-users of this research?

Controlled atmosphere: it is envisaged that in the immediate future the major users will be farmers and the grain companies: CBH, Australian Barley Board (ABB) and GrainCorp. However, it is likely that once proven other larger storage organisations will adopt the technology.