Safeguarding harvests: How eco-friendly pest lures can help create next-generation rice storage solutions 

By Carlito Balingbing and Glenn Concepcion

In a significant stride towards safeguarding global food security and reducing reliance on harmful pesticides, a new study has identified simple, environmentally friendly attractants that can effectively monitor and control insect pests in stored rice. This innovative research, spearheaded by scientists from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and partner institutions, offers a sustainable path to protect one of the world’s most vital staple foods.

Every year, insect infestations in suboptimal storage systems can lead to staggering quantitative and qualitative grain losses, sometimes reaching up to 85%. Beyond just weight loss, these pests degrade the quality of rice, reducing its nutritional value, causing foul odors, and even promoting the growth of dangerous fungi and mycotoxins like aflatoxin, posing serious public health risks. With cereal grains comprising 28% of the world’s food supply, protecting them is paramount as the global population continues to grow.

Current methods for controlling these pests often involve extensive insecticide applications, including neonicotinoids and phosphine fumigants. While effective, these chemicals come with severe drawbacks, including environmental contamination, harm to aquatic ecosystems, and the development of pesticide resistance in target insects. The urgent need for safer alternatives has driven researchers to explore natural, chemical-free solutions.

The study, co-authored by Carlito Balingbing, Nurmi Pangesti, and Nguyen Van Hung from IRRI, alongside IRRI consultant Martin Gummert and Oliver Hensel of the University of Kassel, focused on evaluating “makeshift attractants”, readily available and simple technologies to lure and trap key rice pests. The goal was to complement existing acoustic detection devices, which can identify hidden insects, by bringing scattered pests to a central point for easier monitoring and elimination.

The research utilized one-ton capacity storage systems, filled with a mixed variety of rice paddy harvested directly from the Zeigler Experiment Station at IRRI, Philippines. These systems were intentionally infested with three major insect culprits: the lesser grain borer (Rhyzopertha dominica), the rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae), and the red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum), with adult insects collected from a rice milling facility and IRRI’s Postharvest laboratory. Four potential attractants were put to the test: a red Light Emitting Diode (LED), an air blower, a vibration module, and virgin coconut oil, all integrated into an improvised pitfall trap. A control trap with no attractant was also included for comparison. The effectiveness was measured by daily insect counts in the traps and by analyzing changes in rice quality over a six-month storage period.