Evaluation of Hermetic Bags for Storage of Sesame seed against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst)

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), commonly referred as the “queen of oil seeds,” is valued for its nutritional richness and widely cultivated. Traditional storage in polypropylene and jute bags predisposes sesame seeds to insect infestation particularly by the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) and often necessitates chemical treatments that pose environmental risks. The present study conducted during 2022-23 and 2023-24, evaluated Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags, Super GrainPro bags (SGP) for maintaining seed quality over 90 days in comparison with polypropylene bags, jute bags and jute bags treated with deltamethrin 2.8 EC @ 2ml/L. Results revealed that PICS bag, jute bags treated with deltamethrin and SGP bag recorded the lowest T. castaneum populations (3.9, 4.3and 4.4 per 100 grams of seed) compared with polypropylene bag (29.0) and jute bags (32.0) after 90 days of storage. Grain damage was significantly less in PICS (4.1%), deltamethrin treated jute bags (4.38%) and SGP bags (4.52%) than in polypropylene (19.2%) and jute bags (20.3%). Consequently, higher thousand seed weight was recorded in PICS bags (3.08 g) followed by insecticide treated jute bags (3.07g) and SGP bags (3.06 g) in comparison to polypropylene bags(2.41 g) and jute bags (2.38 g). Similarly, seed germination remained highest in PICS bags (88.0%), insecticide treated jute bags (87.0%) and in SGP bags (86.0%) compared to polypropylene bags and jute bags (61% each). The findings confirm that PICS bags and SGP bags effectively maintain pest free conditions and preserve seed quality without reliance on synthetic chemicals. Being eco-friendly and sustainable, hermetic storage solutions need to be promoted among sesame growers for safe and long-term seed storage.