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ICAR, FCI ink MoU on sustainable fumigation
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Tuesday, 06 October, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop alternative fumigation technologies for the safe and sustainable management of storage pests in wheat and rice.
Signed on September 30, 2026, the two-year Phase-I research project is supported by the Department of Food & Public Distribution (DFPD), Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, and will be implemented by ICAR–Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET), Ludhiana.
India's grain reserves have traditionally relied on aluminium phosphide (ALP) and malathion for post-harvest pest management. However, repeated use of these chemicals has contributed to increasing pest resistance, with resistance frequencies reportedly reaching 72–100% in key states. The rising number of fumigation cycles has also increased operational costs, while concerns remain over worker exposure and environmental impacts.
The Phase-I project will focus on standardising the commercial use of nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide (CO2), and a combination of CO2 and phosphine as alternatives to conventional fumigation practices.
Three major trials will be undertaken. The first will assess nitrogen gas of more than 99% purity for managing storage pests in wheat stored in metal silos. The second will evaluate combined CO2 and phosphine fumigation for wheat and rice stored in bags at FCI and Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) warehouses. The third will examine CO2 fumigation for wheat and rice stored in bags enclosed in hermetic covers.
Following the two-year Phase-I pilot, Phase-II will involve a one-year, multi-location trial across different agro-climatic zones to develop region-specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
The initiative aims to establish scientifically validated, scalable and sustainable alternatives to conventional chemical fumigation, while addressing pest resistance, occupational exposure, environmental concerns and fumigant residues.
The MoU was signed by Dr Nachiket Kotwaliwale, Director, ICAR-CIPHET, and Dr A.K. Sinha, Executive Director (Quality Control), FCI, in the presence of Dr M.L. Jat, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR, along with senior officials from ICAR, FCI and DFPD.
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