Cereal growers should take action against any grain pests as soon as stores are emptied, Nickerson has advised.

“Now is the critical time to clean your store,” said the firm’s Joss Vincent. “Once a store is emptied it is the best opportunity to take action against any grain-pests.”

Growers who think they may have pests should place pheromone traps in the store to assess the scale of the infestation, followed by a spray treatment if thresholds are met, he advised.

Mr Vincent suggests using ProStore (bifenthrin + malathion), which offers up to six months protection on all grain pests, he said.

A new interactive tool to help growers keep on top of the problems associated with storing grain will be demonstrated on the HGCA stand at Cereals 2006.

The Safe Storage Time Calculator allows growers to estimate how long they have got after entering crops into store before various factors that adversely affect grain quality – such as pests and mycotoxins – may kick-in.

See www.hgca.com for more information.