Explanation
The correct option isFumigation
Post-harvest management involves protecting stored agricultural produce from biotic factors such as insects, rodents, fungi, and mites. Specific chemical or physical techniques are employed to eliminate these pests without damaging the quality of the grains.Option Analysis:
- Hybridisation: Incorrect. This is a plant breeding technique used to create new crop varieties with desirable traits (such as high yield or disease resistance) by crossing genetically different individuals. It is a pre-harvest strategy used during crop development, not a storage technique.
- Fumigation: Correct. Fumigation is the standard technique employed to control pest infestation in stored food grains. It involves the use of volatile chemicals (fumigants) that vaporize to form a gas, penetrating the grain mass to kill insects and pests at various life stages. Common fumigants include phosphine and methyl bromide.
- Vermi-composting Vermi-composting: Incorrect. This is a process of creating organic fertilizer (compost) using earthworms to decompose organic waste. It is a soil management practice and is not used for preserving stored grains.
- Mariculture: Incorrect. This refers to the cultivation of marine organisms (such as fish, prawns, or seaweed) in the open ocean or enclosed marine sections. It is a branch of aquaculture unrelated to terrestrial grain storage.
Key Takeaway: Fumigation is the primary chemical method used in silos and warehouses to sterilize stored grains and protect them from pests using gaseous pesticides.