Detection of pests in stored wheat and corn in Mardin province

In this thesis study, insect species, their densities, and damage situations were investigated in grain wheat and corn stored in Kızıltepe District of Mardin Province, where licensed warehousing is increasingly common during 2022-2023. Samples were taken from both ordinary and steel silos using the probe method. Insects were examined in 500-gram samples obtained by blending. Nine species were identified in stored grain wheat and eleven species in stored grain corn, all of which were determined to belong to the order Coleoptera. In stored wheat, the most common and highly prevalent primary pest known as the Lesser grain borer (Fab.) Rhyzopertha dominica (Fab.) (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae) was found, while in stored corn, the most common primary pest identified was the rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Harmful insects in stored grain wheat and corn were mostly collected in greater numbers during the October-December period compared to other months. It was determined that the number of live individuals collected was higher than the number of dead individuals (generally, the proportion of live individuals was 90% in ordinary storage and 77% in silo storage). In stored grain corn (in ordinary storage), the proportion of live individuals was 88%. The rate of damaged grain caused by primary pests in grain wheat varied between 1-5%, while in grain corn, this rate of maximum was 2.5%. It has been observed that fumigation in the wheat and corn storage and silos provided as examples was insufficient. It is recommended to prevent leaks and also to ensure that the gas concentration in the areas of application is measured with a detector and kept constant throughout the fumigation period.