Abstract
Storage mites are considered to be detrimental to grain fitness and commonly cause a change in the chemical composition of the stored wheat. The present study showed the changes in nutritional value of the wheat grains of variety Lasani-08 when subjected to infestation with varying population levels of the acarid mite, Rhizoglyphus tritici (Acari: Acaridae) for one month and three months. Maximum moisture contents were 17.06 and 17.73% in infested grains as compared to 16.10 and 16.36% for control after one and three months of storage, respectively. The protein contents were lowest (12.66%) after three months of storage with highest level of mite infestation. Also, there was a significant effect of mite population on fat contents. Maximum decrease in fat contents was recorded after three months, which was from 1.28 and 0.93% for control and infested wheat with 20 pairs of mites, respectively. The fiber contents increased significantly in infested grains compared to control which was 1.03% to 1.72% and from 1.07 to 1.99 after one and three months interval, respectively. The ash contents increased in treated grains (2.03%) compared to control (1.23%) after three months of storage. Starch contents decreased after three months of storage with mite infestation. Although the ash and fiber increased with storage and mite infestation, the increase due to depletion of protein, fat and carbohydrate. It can be concluded that mites are responsible for nutrient depletion of wheat during storage