DISINFESTATION OF LEAFROLLER AND MITE PESTS USING A HIGH-TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE

Mortality responses of 3-d-old eggs and 1st, 3rd and 5th instars of Epiphyas postvittana (Walker), Planotortrix octo Dugdale, Ctenopseustis obliquana (Walker), and diapausing adult Tetranychus urticae Koch to a high-temperature controlled atmosphere (1.2% O₂ with 1% CO₂ at 40°C) were determined in the absence of host fruit.
The treatment incorporated a 21 h protocol to serially establish the target controlled atmosphere and temperature conditions.

E. postvittana was the most tolerant leafroller to controlled atmosphere treatment.
The mean treatment time for 99% mortality (LT₉₉) for life stages of E. postvittana decreased in the following order: 3rd instars ≈ 5th instars > 1st instars ≈ 3-d-old eggs.
Controlled atmosphere treatment was more effective against this species than air at 40°C (3th instar LT₉₉ values of 34.6 and 44.2 h respectively). P. octo and C. obliquana were equally susceptible to the controlled atmosphere treatment, and the life stages tested exhibited similar mortality responses (LT₉₉ values ranging between a minimum of 18.5 h to a maximum of 21.4 h). Both these leafrollers were more sensitive to air at 40°C than E. postvittana. T. urticae was more tolerant of the controlled atmosphere than the 3 leafroller species (mean LT₉₉ value of 120.5 h). The mortality responses of diapausing T. urticae were similar under controlled atmosphere or air treatment at 40°C.

International Postharvest Science Conference Postharvest 96

D.C. Whiting, J. van den Heuvel

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1998.464.39