The Conference program included a pre-conference visit to Germany, organized by the Institute of Stored-Product Protection in Berlin, in coordination with the CAF Organizing Committee in Cyprus, under the sponsorship of Dr. C. Reichmuth. This interesting program which included visits to silos, granaries a museum and laboratories in Germany, was matched in Cyprus with visits to storage centers accompanied by sight-seeing visits to historical and tourist sites. The conference was held in the Cyprus International Conference Center in Nicosia.

The preparation of the conference from its inception to its realization was largely dependent upon the enthusiasm, devotion and support of representatives from two institutions: the Cyprus Grain Commission in Nicosia and the Israel Agricultural Research Organization (ARO) in Bet Dagan.

Conference Objectives

taken from the Press Release on the CAF Conference

“Currently there is worldwide pressure to reduce or phase out the use of fumigants and particularly methyl bromide. Scientists from 26 countries have gathered in Nicosia with the objective of reporting on the advances in research and development.

The conference pointed the way forward in agricultural product protection. Use of gases is increasingly the method of choice for treatment of pests infesting stored agricultural products. Research presented here lays the basis for techniques for use in the next decade.

The conference covered important global issues in pest control in stored products with the technique of fumigation or the use of controlled atmospheres:

• presenting alternatives to methyl bromide
• documenting the recent state of the art in protecting grain and other commodities from insect attack
• giving an overview of the technical and political constraints on the use of fumigants
• indicating the need to observe and avoid the appearance of resistance.

Among the new techniques and substances which were covered, the use of carbon dioxide under pressure for rapid disinfestation and the production methods available for nitrogen were seen as promising approaches to including controlled atmospheres as a component of integrated pest management after harvest as alternatives to fumigants. Substances like methyl phosphine, methyl isothiocyanate and carbonyl sulphide were presented as possible alternatives to methyl bromide in some areas of application.”