Effectiveness of Improved Hermetic Storage Structures Against Maize Storage Insect Pests Sitophilus zeamais and Prostephanus truncatus

A study was conducted for 12 months to evaluate the effectiveness of two improved hermetic storage structures against two maize storage pests Sitophilus zeamais and Prostephanus truncatus at Liwufu Research Station, Malawi. The storages were metal silo and hermetic bag; Actellic super dust was included as a control. The treatments (storages) were replicated four times under natural and artificial infestations. Grain stored in metal silo had the lowest mean percentage weight loss, 1.04% to 1.25%, 12 months after storage followed by hermetic bag, 2.46% to 6.64%. Grain treated with Actellic super had the highest weight loss, 4.86% to 18.72%. The study showed that hermetic storage structures can be promoted as effective alternative non-chemical methods of grain storage for small holder farmers in Malawi.