A device to remove insect eggs from stored pulse seeds – Indian patent no: 198434

Pulses are more difficult to store than cereals as these suffer a great damage during storage by pulse beetle Callosobruchus sp. The main source of infestation by pulse beetle is it’s carry over damage from field to stores which is well known.  The present invention is a prototype of a gadget which can successfully crush the eggs of pulse beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis and Callosobruchus maculates which attack stored pulses. The gadget has outer container and an inner perforated container with a rotating rod having fixed with plastic brushes on all sides. The seeds with eggs are to be stored in the perforated container and the rod has to rotated one full circumference clockwise and anti-clockwise for 10 minutes 3 times a day (morning, noon and afternoon). Due to the splashing action of the brush in rotating rod, the eggs gets crushed and thus the damage is prevented. The treatment does not affect the germination of seeds. 

 Advantages of the invention

1.   The device is useful in removing the eggs without affecting the germination
2.   Once the eggs are removed there will not be further build up of population during storage of seeds.
3.   Removing the eggs laid by the beetles will have a significant impact in arresting the population build up in storage.
4.         Farmers generally fear to store pulse seeds because of the pulse beetle damage during storage. The device of the present invention can remove this fear from the farmers mind and thus motivate them “to have their own seeds”.