• The primary insects: attack whole, healthy grains as soon as they have infested the silo. Among the most common are weevils (wheat weevil, rice weevil), bruchids and flour moths.
  
• Secondary insect pests: attack grains, which were already damaged by primary insects, mould or handling. Among the most common are silvins, triboliums and capuchins.

Insect control is becoming increasingly complex. In just a few years, the number of plant protection products available has been considerably reduced, and more and more markets are ruling out their use. The use of alternative methods is therefore becoming imperative, especially as the systematic use of insecticides can lead to the appearance of insects resistant to the handful of molecules still available on the market.

It is therefore essential to prioritise all preventive insect control measures, which can be grouped together in a technical storage itinerary, each stage of which contributes to the ultimate control of insects.

Temperature plays a crucial role in the development of insects in stored grain. Each insect species has a minimum development temperature (MDT) below which it cannot develop, and an optimum development temperature (T°C) at which it can develop most rapidly. 

In practice, following effects can be observed: 

• During the winter months, when temperatures in silos are low, insects are generally inactive. This is the ideal time to implement preventive measures, such as cleaning the silos and storing healthy, dry grain.
• In spring and summer, when temperatures rise, insects become more active and their development accelerates. This is the most critical period for preventing pest infestations.

Consequently, monitoring the temperature and detecting hot spots in grain silos are essential practices for preventing the development of insects. Coupled with effective ventilation control to lower the temperature in the silos, this ensures an optimum prevention.

In order to maintain the quality of the grain, it must be cooled as quickly as possible as this will protect it from insect pests.

To achieve this, a cooling ventilation strategy needs to be put in place as soon as the crop is harvested, to lower the temperature of the grain in successive stages to around 5°C at the start of winter.

Monitoring temperature trends in the silos in real time is therefore essential to ensure that the temperature of your stock is developing correctly, and to react in good time in the event of overheating. Our solution "Store&save" combines temperature probes connected to a digital platform that enables operators to monitor the temperature of all their stocks in real time, whatever the type of storage (flat, vertical, sheet-pile, etc.).

At the same time, our automated silo ventilation solution, based on real-time analysis of the temperature difference between the outdoor air and the silo temperature, is proving to be the most effective. It allows you to capture all the right ventilation ranges, thus ensuring that the fans are not running for nothing, or even worse, causing the grain to heat up!

We have carried out a case study which shows that the automated ventilation mode is much more efficient than the manual or by thermostat controlled ventilation.
An experiment conducted by Arvalis has reached the same conclusion.

To connect all types of storage facilities and make our Store&save ® platform accessible to everyone. 

With a wide range of equipment, we connect all types of storage and upload all your temperature and ventilation data back to the Store&save ® platform in real time.

All our equipment operates on low-frequency radio networks, ensuring optimal data transmission regardless of your 3G/4G coverage.