Abstract

FABA bean is the earliest domesticated legume crop used as a source of protein. It is the main source of organic protein especially in developing countries. However, the crop is seriously damaged by bruchids, Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) depending on grain moisture content. The experiment was conducted to determine the optimum grain moisture content of FABA bean grains during storage to manage bruchid infestation on FABA bean grains. For the study 5-5.5%, 9-9.5%, 11-11.5%, 14-14.5%, 16-16.5% and 20- 20.5% grain moisture levels were considered. Twenty unsexed day one old bruchids were added to a two litter plastic pot contained each one kg treated grains. The number of bruchid eggs, number of emerged progenies, number of holed grains, grain weight loss, number of germinated grains, and developmental period of bruchids were recorded. There was no egg recorded at 5-5.5% grain moisture content, while 393±5.86 eggs were recorded at 20-20.5% grain moisture content. All grains were free from holes at 5-5.5% grain moisture content. Grains with 9-9.5% moisture content only had 12% grains with holes. The highest FABA bean grain weight loss was 18.6%±1.87 which was recorded at 20-20.5% grain moisture content. About 98.3% of the grains were germinated and developmental periods of the bruchids were extended for additional 17.5 days at 9-9.5% grain moisture content. From the current study, it can be concluded that grain moisture content ranging from 9% to 11.5% were safe for FABA bean grain storage from the point of view of bruchids’ infestation.

Keywords:Bruchids; Egg; Progeny; Infestation; Grain; Moisture; Hole