COLD STORAGE TO CONTROL TEMPERATE INSECT PESTS ON NEW ZEALAND APPLES – AN OVERVIEW

Low-temperature storage adversely affects many insects, extends the postharvest shelf life of apples and is already used in many parts of the world as a disinfestation method.
Published research on the low-temperature (0 ± 1.1°C) tolerances of six temperate insect species was reviewed and the potential of a cold treatment to disinfest New Zealand export apples was discussed.

Mortality response to cold temperature is dependent on the species of insect and on the life stage.
Exposure to a short, 6 week cold storage treatment will kill all instar and female adult life stages of Pseudococcus affinis (obscure mealybug) (Hoy and Whiting, 1996), Cydia pomonella (codling moth) eggs (Moffitt and Burditt, 1989), and 1st instar crawlers/white caps and immature males of Quadraspidiotus perniciosus (San Jose scale) (Morgan and Angle, 1967). Non-diapausing larvae and pupae of C. pomonella (Moffitt and Albano, 1972), 2nd-3rd instar Epiphyas postvittana (lightbrown apple moth) (Batchelor et al., 1985), and 2nd instars and female adults of Q. perniciosus (Morgan and Angle, 1967) will tolerate between 6 – 13 weeks of cold storage treatment.
More than 13 weeks of cold storage is necessary to control C. pomonella 5th instar diapausing larvae (Moffitt and Albano, 1972), 2nd-3rd instar Ctenopseustis obliquana (brownheaded leafroller) and Planotortrix octo (greenheaded leafroller) (Batchelor et al., 1985), and 1st instar black caps of Q. perniciosus (Morgan and Angle, 1967).

Insecticidal cold storage durations are compared with the commercial cold storage times used for 3 major New Zealand export apple varieties, and windows of treatment opportunity are identified.

International Postharvest Science Conference Postharvest 96

L.E. Hoy, D.C. Whiting

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1998.464.113