Precision Fumigation Increases Options

With more than 40 years of experience in structural fumigations, including serving the specialized needs of food processing plants, mills, warehouses and cargo ships for the past 15 years, Jim Garrett says no two fumigations are ever the same, even on sites that he has fumigated many times. Close attention to details that include target pests, wind, temperature and other site conditions has helped Garrett build his company’s reputation and customer base. Today, Fume Tech, based in Citrus Heights, Calif., is a major fumigation firm serving the West Coast.

For decades Garrett has used methyl bromide for his fumigations, but the stringent buffer zone restrictions and phase-out of the fumigant due to its ozone-depleting characteristics required finding an alternative. ProFume® gas fumigant proved to be an appealing option.

“It was important to me to have a fumigant that effectively eradicates stored product pests, and that could easily be incorporated into my customers’ existing pest management schedules,” Garrett says.  “ProFume quickly penetrates commodities and allows for more rapid aeration following the fumigation, so there is no difference in downtime between ProFume and methyl bromide. Overall the cost for the two fumigants is comparable.”
       
FOUR FACTORS. The big surprise for Garrett in using ProFume is the specialized Precision Fumigation™ tools and techniques that are used with the fumigant. Based on four interrelated factors — target pest populations, temperature, half-loss time and exposure time — Precision Fumigation provides the fumigator and facility with greater flexibility than with methyl bromide by creating a customized fumigation blueprint for every job, according to the manufacturer, Dow AgroSciences.

Pest: Different pest species, life stages and population pressure may require different dosages for effective control. Identifying the pests in the facility is the first step in determining optimal dosage.

Half-Loss Time (HLT): This measurement of how well an area holds fumigant is extremely important in achieving effective pest control. The higher the HLT, the lesser the amount of fumigant needed to accumulate target dosage.

Therefore, facilities with higher HLTs can save money by using less gas over a longer period of time, or save time by shortening the fumigation time with the original dosage.

Exposure Time: Customizing exposure time impacts efficiency. For example, doubling exposure period in a well-sealed structure can decrease gas needed by 50 percent. Conversely, reducing exposure time can save money by putting food processing facilities back on line faster.

Temperature: Higher temperatures increase insect metabolism, which greatly improves the efficacy of ProFume. For some target pests, a higher temperature difference of only a few degrees can substantially reduce the amount of fumigant needed.

At the heart of Precision Fumigation is a FumiguideTM calculator with software to calculate the relationship between the four factors and output the optimal dosage needed for each individual job. Modifying one or more of the factors can provide a desired benefit, such as reduced facility down time, reduced gas requirements or maximum pest population elimination.

Before fumigation begins, fumigators can even use the Fumiguide to run “what if” scenarios to determine the best techniques to meet the facility’s goals. Plus, fumigators have complete control throughout the entire fumigation, with the ability to make adjustments along the way to ensure effective results by optimizing time and cost efficiencies. Another plus for customers, Garrett says, is the easy-to-read reports and graphs produced by the Fumiguide, important for documentation and quality control.  These reports can be used to refine and improve future fumigations at the facility, thus potentially increasing savings and efficacy over time.

“Precision Fumigation lets you track progress throughout the exposure period and really lets you know what is going on in the site,” Garrett says. “The ability to monitor the entire structure also delivers maximum customer value. For example, with Precision Fumigation we can identify areas in large mills that are not adequately holding gas, or identify trouble areas in facilities, and take the necessary action.”

Garrett says his first use of ProFume and Precision Fumigation tools and techniques was a few years ago on a rice processing facility in Northern California. He says that since the initial fumigation, he has been back to fumigate that mill three more times — a testament to the success he has had there with the treatment. Since then he has conducted numerous fumigations with ProFume on various milling and processing commodities, mostly specializing in rice.
  
INITIAL CONCERNS. At first, the Fumiguide software seemed a bit intimidating to Garrett.  “I didn’t even know how to turn on a computer before I started using ProFume,” Garrett says. “However, a representative from Dow AgroSciences, provided detailed training. Now I know how to maximize all of the benefits that the Precision Fumigation program can provide.”

After learning all of the advances that Precision Fumigation brings to the table, Garrett believes the program is the most important innovation brought to the fumigation industry in recent years, as it benefits both the fumigator and the food processing facility.

Jason Nelson, Dow AgroSciences U.S. marketing specialist for ProFume, says training and stewardship initiatives are important parts of the ProFume® gas fumigant program. “We provide in-depth initial training with ProFume, but also require that all fumigators using ProFume complete annual stewardship training and agree to the requirements of our Stewardship Policy,” says Nelson.

Since its introduction in 2004, Jenkins says ProFume has been used successfully on hundreds of commercial fumigations. In addition, the adoption of maximum residue limits (MRLs) by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for sulfuryl fluoride, the active ingredient in ProFume, enables the export of commodities around the world that have been fumigated with the product.

As the phase out of methyl bromide continues, it is important that both fumigators and food processing facilities evaluate alternative methods of stored product pest control. According to Garrett, ProFume gas fumigant with its Precision Fumigation tools and techniques offers a technically and economically viable solution. 

“My customers demand positive results, and I am serious about my role in ensuring the safety of the food supply provided to markets both in the United States and abroad,” Garret says. “I have worked extensively to find an adequate alternative to methyl bromide from efficacy, economic and manufacturer support standpoints, and believe ProFume, in conjunction with Precision Fumigation and training and stewardship support from Dow AgroSciences, to be an economical and technically viable alternative for the customers and markets my company serves.”  QA

The author, Sara Wiroll, is from Bader Rutter & Associates in Brookfield, Wis.