ABSTRACT
Fumigants are designed to enter cracks, crevices, and other areas where insect may occur. The constraints in the use of fumigants to treat stored products include consideration of the chemical residues which they may leave in the treated stored products and affect the quality of grain, germinability, and seedling viability. The term fumigant is derived from fumus or smoke of chemical which at a required temperature and pressure can exist in the gaseous state in sufficient concentration to be lethal to a given pest organism. In this regard, phosphine has considerable advantages and is certainly to be preferred to MB for stored products. In the bulk storage system, ethylene oxide is commonly used and accepted as substitute of carbon disulfide for fumigation of grain and seeds. Ethylene oxide is a colorless, odorless liquid at low temperatures, but it can vaporize rapidly at suitable temperature.
