Ozone as a Potential Fumigant Alternative for the Management of Sitophilus oryzae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Wheat
Amoah, B., & Mahroof, R. (2019). Journal of Economic Entomology, 112(4), 1953–1963.
Gaseous ozone, an oxidizing agent used as a disinfectant in food processing, has potential for controlling stored product insects. Eggs, immature stages, and adults of the rice weevil were exposed to 200-ppm ozone for 12 to 60 hours at varying depths within a wheat mass. Egg eclosion and adult survival were significantly lower near the surface (5 cm) than deeper in the grain (25 cm), showing that ozone is effective against all life stages, with efficacy dependent on concentration, exposure time, depth, and gas loss.