Locally-available dusts will continue to play an important role as grain protectants in farm stores in Africa and developing countries in other parts of the world because of their low cost and because they are readily available. However, such methods will remain for small-scale use only, particularly for the preservation of small quantities of seed grain, because of the excessive quantities of dust required. Furthermore, removing the dusts in order to process grain for consumption can be tedious. These dusts are therefore being replaced by methods which either require smaller quantities of material or use materials that do not need to be removed before the grain is consumed. in laboratory studies with beans in Brazil and in small-scale simulated field trials with maize in Malawi showed that dolomite at application rates of 1% (w/w) or less could protect the commodity against insect pest damage. Paddy husk ash, which contains a high proportion of silicates, has also been found to be an effective protectant when admixed with maize at 1%. The effectiveness of vegetable oils and powdered dried plant parts, which do not need to be removed before milling or cooking, is being investigated by many workers; oils and botanical insecticides have also been used as traditional protectants.