Effects of Growth and Reproduction of Boring Pests on Wheat Quality and Storage Quality Indicators

In order to understand the effects of multiple generations of low density boring pests on wheat quality and storage quality, the changes of moisture content, thousand kernels weight, bored kernel percentage, falling number, fatty acid and gluten water absorption were studied when wheat were infested by different densities(5, 10, and 15 adults per kilogram of wheat) of Sitophilus oryzae, Sitophilus zeamais, and Rhizopertha dominica adults based on grain grades defined in GB/T 29890-2013 Technical Criterion for Grain and Oil-seeds Storage.The results showed as follows:the quality grade and storage quality of wheat decreased after the infestation by insect pests.Moisture content, bored kernel percentage, falling number and fat acid value increased, while thousand kernel weight and gluten water absorption decreased.Moreover, in the case of infestation only by adults, the effects of different population density on each index were not significantly different, but the rising and descending rate of each index increased with the increase of the number of reproduction.Results also indicated that the effect of infestation time on wheat quality and storage quality index was greater than that of pest population density.It is necessary to prevent and control the pests in the early stage of infestion and before reprodution to ensure the quality of food and the quality of storage.