The granary weevil, Sitophilus granarius (L.), is considered a serious pest in stored grain worldwide. As residual-based protection possibilities become scarcer, the development of eco-friendly control technologies that can be implemented in practice is becoming urgent. In this spirit, our objective was to assess the effectiveness of different levels of atmospheric cooling against S. granarius under laboratory conditions. We also analysed the effects of cooling on progeny generation and the viability of treated wheat. Thus, we investigated the consequences of atmospheric exposures to temperatures of −5, −10, −15, −20, and −25 °C for 60, 75, and 90 min on these factors, and also explored the effects of nearby ranges using extrapolation. The viability of the treated wheat embryo was analysed using a TTC test. Our results showed that the highest efficacy was observed at an atmospheric cooling temperature of −25 °C (with a parallel recorded temperature of −10.5 °C in the stored grains zone), with a 90 min exposure at suboptimal relative humidity (40%). At 60% relative humidity, the mortality averages were more dispersed, and the expected efficiencies above 95% occurred at longer exposures. The post-suppressive effect of cooling can be confirmed in all three exposures. The different cooling temperatures of the tested exposure times did not produce any appreciable changes in the viability of treated wheat embryos. In conclusion, our results show that the use of atmospheric cooling can be an effective solution for stored product protection.

The granary weevil Sitophilus granarius L. is a pest causing substantial damage to stored wheat worldwide, against which the elaboration of sustainable control methods has recently been gaining importance. Our objective was to assess the efficacy of a rapid atmospheric convection heat transfer method against S. granarius under laboratory conditions. We examined the changes in adult mortality and progeny survival triggered by heat and the effect of this on the quality parameters of treated wheat items. The insecticidal efficacy, achieved by the treatment of infested grains, was also analyzed at 37, 47, 67, 87, and 107 °C for 5, 6, and 7 min under 40% and 60% rh exposure to atmospheric heating with the progeny production assessed 45 days after the treatment. The quality parameters of the treated wheat were analyzed by a germination test and NIR grain analysis. Our findings showed that adequate eradication of S. granarius was obtained at 107 °C for 5 min of exposure under suboptimal (40% rh) relative humidity values. At 60% relative humidity, mortality averages were more dispersed, and efficacies above the expected 95% occurred over longer exposures. The progeny-suppression effect from short-term heating was affirmed. The atmospheric convection heat transfer method, under the applied temperature and exposure time combinations, did not induce detectable changes in the quality parameters or the germination ability of the treated wheat. Overall, our findings indicated that the use of short-term heating for the post-harvest protection of cereals is feasible, which may contribute to the realization of residuum-free pest management and provide an effective and sustainable technique in integrated pest management.

Oulema melanopus L., 1758 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is one of the significant pests affecting cereal crops in Europe. Its damage is evident in the destruction of leaves during the spring growing season, leading to substantial impacts on both the quantity and quality of the harvested yields. The study aimed to evaluate the extent of leaf surface damage, changes in chlorophyll content caused by this pest, and the subsequent effects on yield quality. To achieve this, two experimental parcels were established, each subjected to different pesticide treatments during the spring vegetation cycle, but notably, with the difference that one parcel did not receive insecticide applications. The phytosanitary status, yield quantity, and quality parameters of thes parcels were compared. Chlorophyll content in damaged and undamaged plants was monitored in vivo using SPAD measurements, while the extent of leaf surface damage was assessed through image analysis using GIMP software 2.10.32. Harvested grain underwent milling and baking analysis, with milling and baking-quality indicators measured using a NIR grain analyzer. The results revealed that omitting springtime insecticide treatments during the emergence of O. melanopus led to significant reductions in leaf area and yield quality. In untreated parcels, leaf decession followed linear progression, reaching 35–40% within 20 days. This damage correlated with the decline in SPAD index values, indicating a 40–50% reduction in chlorophyll content dependent photosynthetic activity. Consequently, there were substantial decreases in milling and baking qualities, including nearly 30% reductional protein-content indicators and 10% in the Hagberg falling number. In summary, our large-scale field experiments demonstrated that persistent O. melanopus damage in wheat fields significantly reduced both the quantity and quality of yields, particularly protein content. These facts underscore the economic importance of timely pest-control measures to mitigate damage and preserve crop value.