Cold Plasma the Green Alternative for Control of Pulse Beetle (Callosobruchus chinensis L.)

Abstract

Abstract In the current context of the problems created by the use of pesticides, cold plasma treatment found to be the best alternative in the protection of chickpea from pulse beetle invasion during storage up to few years. Cold plasma is proven method of food preservation which control food spoilage at very lower temperatures. The prospective potential of cold plasma treatment to control the pulse beetle Callosobruchus chinensis L. infestation of chickpea for the storage period of about five years after plasma treatment was studied. Chickpea cultivars Vijay and Digvijay were used. Pulse beetle un-infested plasma untreated, pulse beetle un-infested plasma-treated, pulse beetle infested plasma untreated and pulse beetle infested plasma-treated samples studied for comparative pest status after every quarter. Cold plasma treatment at 40, 50, and 60 W power each for 10, 15, 20 min. was applied. The samples were stored in an airtight zip lock pouch under laboratory conditions. Cold plasma was found most effective in controlling the pulse beetle infestation of previously un-infested plasma-treated and previously infested plasma-treated samples when compared to pulse beetle un-infested plasma untreated and pulse beetle infested plasma untreated chickpea samples. Also, the present research aims to put the step to establish the scientific base to study the stored grain pest infestation for such a long period which will be helpful to validate the results obtained during such preliminary short-term studies.