Pest Management in Post-Harvest Food

Characteristics and damage caused by pests. Main species infesting commodities and processing environments and storage: Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Psocottera, Thysanura and Cockroaches. Main species of mites of the foodstuffs. Factors favoring settlement, survival and spread of weeds. Factors that make it difficult to control weeds in post-harvest. Biocenosis of cereals, legumes, nuts, and herbs stored. General rules of prevention. Standards of cleanliness. Winding and packaging. Attacks on packaging before use. Attacks on packaging and packaging ready for commercialization. Resistance of the packaging to the attack of insects. Consideration of a hole to determine origin infestation. Insects penetrators and invaders. Methods of analysis, sampling, tools for sampling, sampling techniques, packaging and storage of samples. Main methods to detect the presence of pests: direct visual examination, sieving, organic, hectoliter weight, flottazone, staining methods, calorimetric and respirometric, method, X-ray and acoustic analysis. Filth test. Methods for environments: analysis of trace probe traps, pheromone traps. Analysis of finished products. How to use the monitoring data. Determination origin infestation. Use of biocides in the environment: insecticides of natural origin and synthetic analogues, organic synthesis, fumigants and gas mixture: Norms for correct use of biocides used in silos and warehouses. Physical method: silos-bag, circulation and ventilation, low and high temperatures, centrifugal force, inert dust, vacuum drying and controlled atmosphere. Murids: species, damage, prevention and monitoring. Identification of the species, application of the means of control and monitoring of results. Examples of application of integrated pest management plans in warehouses, silos and mill. Legislative and considerations on Article 5 of Law 283/1962.