The Indian Council of Agricultural Research and the Food Corporation of India have agreed to research safer and more sustainable ways to control pests in stored wheat and rice.
The two-year first phase will be led by the ICAR-Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology in Ludhiana, with support from the Department of Food and Public Distribution.
Researchers will test high-purity nitrogen in metal silos, carbon dioxide combined with phosphine in warehouses, and carbon dioxide treatment for bagged grain kept under sealed covers. The work is intended to reduce reliance on conventional chemicals and address pest resistance, worker exposure and environmental concerns.
If the initial trials are successful, a one-year second phase will test the methods across different agro-climatic regions and develop location-specific operating procedures.
Source: Press Information Bureau, Government of India.
Image disclosure: This is an AI-generated editorial illustration featuring fictional scientists and a conceptual storage facility. It is not a photograph of the research project or its participants.
