No matter the threat, we will protect what nature provides
Protecting our food supply starts with grain protection. With the growing challenge of food security, protecting stored grain from pests is more critical than ever. However, to remain both safe and effective, insecticides must be used in a sensible and sustainable manner. At Envu, we support farmers and growers to protect grain and ensure food safety.
K-Obiol® EC Combi (“K-Obiol”), is a synergised grain protectant designed to safeguard uninfested grains like cereal grains, malting barley, sorghum, rice, and maize. Whether you’re storing in sealed or unsealed conditions, K-Obiol® provides reliable, long-lasting protection.
Training
Each training program will take about 15-30 minutes to complete and at the end are a series of questions you are required to answer to ensure you understand the training.
Explore our training videos
Treatment Demonstration
Grain storage is of increasing focus for Australian growers and in this video the Envu team demonstrate the best practice application of K-Obiol for Eastern State growers from Queensland, Northern Territory, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia.
To find out more information about Envu's products and services, reach out to our team.
Learn More About K-Obiol EC Combi
Articles
Read our most recent news articles and find out key product updates and information, changes to product labels and specific advice on how to treat and manage stored grain pests.
Technical Information
K-Obiol®, which contains the active ingredient deltamethrin, is a synergised grain protectant that can be used to treat Malt Barley, Wheat, Oats, Sorghum, Rice, Maize and other cereal grains, and provides protection against the main stored grain insect pests, in particular, Lesser Grain Borer, for up to nine months.
Key Product Facts
- Active ingredients: 50g/l deltamethrin, 400g/l piperonyl butoxide (synergist).
- Use in combination with Fenitrothion or Chlorpyriphos-Methyl protectants where resistance is known.
- Can be used in sealed or unsealed grain storage.
Get in touch with our team
Stephanie Larkin
Stephanie Larkin is the National Sales and Key Account Manager for ANZ based in Melbourne. Born and raised in the NSW Riverina, Stephanie has a profound passion for Australian agriculture. She brings a wealth of experience from her previous roles at Elders Limited as Category Specialist and Head of Marketing & Communications, and at Sinochem Australia as National Sales Manager and Marketing Manager.
Known for her strategic capabilities, leadership, and innovative approach, Stephanie is committed to delivering successful outcomes and driving growth in the Vegetation Management sector.
Contact Details:
(m) +61 419 574 776
Wayne Ryder
Wayne's extensive experience of over 30 years in the turf, landscape and horticultural industry enables him to provide a holistic approach and excellent technical support on a broad range of flora and products to assist our agents and end users.
Wayne is passionate about improving the end user experience and in advancing sustainable solutions for landowners and better care for the land and people who live, work and play there.
Contact Details:
(m) +61 456 612 490
Ciara O'Brien
Ciara O’Brien is the Territory Business Development Manager – Vegetation Management, ANZ at Envu. Ciara joins Envu after recently completing her PhD focused on woody weeds management. Passionate about plant pathology, Ciara is eager to apply her expertise in agricultural science and woody weeds management to support Envu's customers and partners across Australia and New Zealand.
Ciara’s deep knowledge and passion for fostering a more resilient co-existence between agricultural systems and the natural environment aligns with Envu’s vision for nature and humanity to coexist and thrive alongside one another.
Contact Us
(e) ciara.o'brien@envu.com
(m) +61 402 754 837
Ed Bracey
Ed Bracey is the Rural Business Specialist for Envu ANZ based in Brisbane. Ed holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Biology as well as a Post Graduate Diploma in Plant Protection. He currently supports the rural team with agency sales and technical support.
With over 25 years of experience in the rural segment, Ed’s industry expertise in crop protection within the rural segment drives his passion for partnering with agents and end users to solve some of their biggest challenges.
Contact Details:
(m) +61 419 787 901
Kevin Sternberg
Kevin Sternberg oversees Envu’s Customer & Sales Support and Technical Assistance function, providing real-time responses through our national enquiry hotline.
With over 25 years of experience in the agricultural chemical industry, he brings deep product knowledge and practical expertise across IVM and R&P weed control. Previously, Kevin has also worked 18 years in regional television advertising—building strong communication skills across all levels of the market.
Passionate about customer support and problem-solving, Kevin is dedicated to helping customers make informed decisions and is committed to growing his knowledge to deliver the best possible service across all regions of Australia.
Contact Details:
(m) +61 428 657 781
FAQs on K-Obiol
What is K-Obiol?
K-Obiol is a synergised grain protectant for use on uninfested cereal grain. A “protectant” (sometimes also called “contact pesticide”) protects grains from insects rather than killing insects once they have infested the grain (think of it working like a personal insect repellent). If the grain is already infested it will need to be fumigated or treated to kill the live insects.
K-Obiol can be used on all cereal grains including malting barley and sorghum. It is not suitable for oil seeds or pulses. K-Obiol can be used in any type of storage, sealed or unsealed, providing the K-Obiol can be evenly distributed on the grain as the grain is fed into the storage.
Do I need to complete stewardship training to access K-Obiol?
The use of K-Obiol for the control of Stored Grain Pests is subject to a stewardship program. Envu only permits users who have successfully completed the product training course to purchase and use K-Obiol to become a ‘approved user’. Approved users should be aware of the Australian Grain Industry Code of Practice and, in particular, their responsibility to advise the buyer of grain that it has been treated with ‘K-OBIOL EC COMBI SYNERGISED GRAIN PROTECTANT’. Where possible this should be done using the GTA (Grain Trade Association) ‘Grain Commodity Vendor Declaration’. For further information, visit the GTA website www.graintrade.org.au, and to access the training package, visit our Stewardship Training page.
What is the active ingredient in K-Obiol?
The insecticide active ingredient in K-Obiol is deltamethrin. K-Obiol also contains piperonyl butoxide which acts as a synergist. A synergist acts to make the active ingredient more effective and hence improve the cost/benefit performance of the product. Deltamethrin is an active ingredient found in many pesticides in agriculture and commercial use.
What is the difference between a protectant and a fumigant?
A fumigant e.g. phosphine (sold under various trade names such as “Quickphos”, “Fumaphos” and “Phostoxin”), is a gas which kills insects. It needs to be retained in the grain for several days, sometimes up to more than a week, for it to be effective.
Effective fumigation requires the grain storage to be sealed to retain the gas.
“Sealed” means gas-tight, meeting the Australian Standard AS 2628-2010. If the silo is not gas-tight, the fumigation will not be successful and there will be insects left to breed and reduce the value of the grain. It can also hasten the increase of insect resistance to the fumigant. Fumigants give no residual protection.
Where can K-Obiol be used?
K-Obiol can be used on any cereal grains provided they are not infested with insects. The cereals which can be treated with K-Obiol include wheat, barley (malting and feed), maize, rice and sorghum. K-Obiol is not suitable for use on oil seeds and pulses.
Grain protectants like K-Obiol leave a low level of chemical residue on the grain. Provided K-Obiol is used at the label rate and the grain receives only a single treatment, chemical residues on the grain are acceptable to the Food Safety Standard of Australia and New Zealand. These treated grains can be used in all markets in Australia except for “organic” or pesticide residue free (PRF) markets.
DO NOT TREAT GRAIN THAT MAY BE DELIVERED TO COOPERATIVE BULK HANDLING LTD (CBH) AND DO NOT TREAT GRAIN THAT MAY BE DELIVERED TO ANY OTHER BULK HANDLING COMPANY WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL FROM THAT COMPANY.
At what rate do I apply K-Obiol to my grain?
There is only one rate of application for K-Obiol and it is easy to remember – 1 L treats 50 tonne BUT it must be diluted to apply.
1 litre of K-Obiol is diluted in water to 50 litres.
1 litre of the dilution is used per tonne of grain (all grain types).
Should K-Obiol be used in combination with other protectants?
The short answer to this question is “Yes”.
Some naturally occurring insect biotypes resistant to K-Obiol may exist through normal genetic variability in any insect population. The rice weevil, granary weevil and maize weevil (Sitophilus spp.) show this trait and so it is recommended K-Obiol is used in combination with another registered grain protectant product.
Where can I purchase K-Obiol?
If you wish to purchase K-Obiol EC you will need to have completed the required K-Obiol training.
K-Obiol is available from all the major rural suppliers including AgLink, AGnVET, CRT, Elders and Nutrien and some independent stores. All locations must have at least one member of their staff who has done the retailer training in K-Obiol and will be able to offer assistance.
Note: K-Obiol is not avaliable in WA except under special conditions and approval by the WA Department of Agriculture and Food. Click here to locate store