Economic Analysis for Commingling Effects of Insect Activity in the Elevator Boot Area

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Entomology
• Pest Management
• Food Storage Science

Background:

• Insect commingling in grain elevator boot areas contaminates stored grain.
• This contamination leads to significant economic losses due to grain discounts.
• Effective pest management in these areas is crucial for the grain industry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the economic impact of insect activity in grain elevator boot areas.
• To compare the efficacy of boot sanitation versus chemical treatment for pest control.
• To inform pest management decision-making and risk assessment in commercial grain handling facilities.

Main Methods:

• Utilized pilot-scale bucket elevator legs with residual wheat or corn.
• Infested legs with varying insect densities before clean grain transfers.
• Applied partial budget analysis and stochastic dominance modeling to assess economic outcomes.
• Compared insect-free (cleanout), untreated infested, and chemically treated (β-cyfluthrin) boot scenarios.

Main Results:

• Boot sanitation (cleanout) every 30 days proved to be the most economically favorable strategy.
• Cleanout significantly reduced or eliminated insect pest populations in residual grain.
• Chemical treatments showed some reduction but were less effective and cost-efficient than cleanout.
• Insect-free boots resulted in higher facility operational net income compared to treated or untreated infested boots.

Conclusions:

• Regular boot sanitation is the preferred pest management strategy in grain elevators.
• Implementing a 30-day cleanout schedule minimizes insect commingling and associated economic losses.
• Boot cleanout offers a more sustainable and profitable approach to pest control than chemical treatments, enhancing operational income.