Chandigarh: Ludhiana based Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET) has developed a mechanical device for detection of insects in stored grains.

"The device is capable of instant detection, and a fair quantification, of insect infestation in stored food grains. Moreover, the device facilitates the detection of presence or absence of live or dead insects in stored grain and it also allows to visualize the egg infestation in the grain sample," said an official release issued here today.

The device can be suitably used to detect variety of different insects such as: grain borer, rice weevil, red flour beetle, rusty grain beetle, and saw-tooth grain beetle in different types of cereals, pulses and oilseeds and similar commodity that become infested during storage. This device is also capable to detect the carry over infestation from the field harvest.

The device has been patented by CIPHET recently and is ready for commercial manufacture through licensing. The cost of the instrument would be about Rs. 3500 to 4000 and would be useful for Food Corporation of India (FCI), Central Ware-housing Corporation (CWC) and other storage godowns where they need to examine the level of infestation as cause of improper storage.

Source : PTI