How to translate text using browser tools
25 November 2018 Assessing the Technical Effectiveness and Economic Feasibility of Pest Management Through Structural Heat Treatment: An Entomological and Economic Analysis in Four Mills in Sicily (Italy)
P. Suma, G. Chinnici, A. La Pergola, A. Russo, S. Bella, B. Pecorino, G. Pappalardo
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Heat treatments (HTs) for pest control represent a promising, fast, and non-chemical method to disinfest commodities and structures with a significantly reduced environmental impact compared with the chemical approach. An entomological and economic study has been conducted to determine the technical efficacy and economic feasibility of HT in mills that produce flour and semolina in Sicily (Italy) where, for the first time, this technique has been applied. The results obtained from the entomological analysis demonstrated that this method provided a satisfactory level of control of the following insect species: Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae), Tribolium confusum (Jacquelin du Val) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Stegobium paniceum (L.) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae), and Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Moreover, using precautionary assumptions in terms of revenue and cost changes resulting from the adoption of HT, the economic analysis showed a good performance of the economic indices making this technique economically feasible for the mills. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of HTs which ensure to Sicilian mills a reduction of environmental impact of production process and the subsequent increase of the competitive position in the agri-food markets of the processed products.

© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
P. Suma, G. Chinnici, A. La Pergola, A. Russo, S. Bella, B. Pecorino, and G. Pappalardo "Assessing the Technical Effectiveness and Economic Feasibility of Pest Management Through Structural Heat Treatment: An Entomological and Economic Analysis in Four Mills in Sicily (Italy)," Journal of Economic Entomology 112(2), 957-962, (25 November 2018). https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toy365
Received: 23 August 2018; Accepted: 23 October 2018; Published: 25 November 2018
JOURNAL ARTICLE
6 PAGES

This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
+ SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

KEYWORDS
benefit–cost analysis
economic analysis
integrated pest management
mills
physical control method
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top