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Stored Products Research & Education Center

The Stored Products Research and Education Center of Oklahoma State University is a facility dedicated to use by faculty, staff and collaborators for generation and dissemination of new information about protection, management or marketing of a wide variety of postharvest agricultural bulk commodities and value added products.

SPREC photo

Research Focus

Research is conducted at this station by faculty, staff, and students from the the Departments of Entomology, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, Plant and Soil Sciences, and Agricultural Economics.  Examples of projects include insecticide trials on stored grain, fumigation studies, managing grain temperature with aeration, using automated traps for sampling insects, storing winter canola, and utilizing pheromones to monitor insects.  Educational programs are held throughout the year and include elevator workshops every spring, fumigation workshops every summer, and fumigation practicals at least twice per year.

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Short-Term Objectives at SPREC
  1. Evaluation and implementation of the Electronic Grain Probe Insect Counter (EGPIC) for estimating insect infestation in grain and use of such information for IPM decision-making.
  2. Simulated field trials of an attracticide (pheromone + low dose insecticide) to suppress populations of the Indian meal moth.
  3. Commercial-scale disinfestations of bulk or packaged commodity using low pressure (vacuum) and flexible gas-tight storage containers.
  4. Conduct yearly grain grading schools, fumigation applicator training, and elevator pest management workshops for members of the grain industry and affiliated government agencies in Oklahoma and neighboring states.

Long-Term Objectives at SPREC
  1. Electronic monitoring and automated aeration control for temperature and moisture management of stored wheat.
  2. Evaluation of factors contributing to shrink and quality loss of wheat in long-term post harvest storage.
  3. Field trials of new residual grain protectants for stored wheat that represent alternatives to chemicals lost due to regulation or biological resistance.
  4. Field trials of a phosphine gas generator and other external application methods for effective fumigation of bulk wheat.
  5. Investigate the feasibility of using controlled or modified atmospheres for disinfesting bulk-stored wheat.
  6. Develop and/or evaluate rapid and accurate chemical or physical methods for detecting and quantifying internal (hidden) insect infestation in grain destined for milling.
  7. Conduct studies on quality of water due to run-off from grain storage operations.
  8. Develop special grain storage training courses on topics such as automated temperature management, grain quality sampling and improved application of pesticides.
SPREC History
SPREC Projects

SPREC Related Links

Location and Size 

SPREC is located three miles west of the Agronomy Research Station in Stillwater and 1/4 mile north of Highway 51 on Range Road.  The site consists of a 60x80 building containing an office, conference room, environmental laboratory, research laboratory, and multipurpose room.  Total grain storage capacity is 42,350 bushels and includes one 18,000 bushel bin, one 8,000 bushel bin, twelve 450 bushel bins, sixteen 500 bushel bins, twelve 170 bushel bins, and sixteen 57 bushel bins.

Contact

Rocky Walker

Rocky Walker
Manager
139 Ag Hall
Stillwater, OK  74078
SPREC phone: 405-707-7108
Office Phone:  405-624-6244
email: rocky.walker@okstate.edu

Personnel

Randy Beeby
Agriculture Technician II
Office Phone: 405-707-7108
Cell: 405-742-7544

Web site:  More information can be found at
 http://storedproducts.okstate.edu/