NON-CHEMICAL DISINFESTATION: COMBINING THE COMBINATIONS – ADDITIVE EFFECTS OF THE COMBINATION OF THREE POSTHARVEST TREATMENTS ON INSECT MORTALITY AND POME FRUIT QUALITY

Experiments were conducted on the disinfesting potential of a combination of three postharvest treatments (mild heat, low oxygen, cold storage) which have previously been evaluated in pair combination.
The combination of three produced additive effects on the mortality of codling moths, Cydia pomonella (L.), light brown apple moths, Epiphyas postvittana (Walker) and Queensland fruit flies, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt). For example it gave a synergy factor of 15 on mortality of the fifth instar larvae of codling moth.
The combination was tested for its influence on the quality of one pear (Pyrus communis L. ‘Packham’s Triumph’) and four apples, (Malus domestica Borkh. ‘Royal Gala’, ‘Red Delicious’, ‘Fuji’ and ‘Pink Lady’. The pears were tolerant of the maximum treatment (72 h under controlled atmosphere (CA) at 30°C, followed by 5 weeks at 0°C under air). Some apple cultivars developed off-flavours, which will impose restrictions on the duration of the first part of the treatment.
A general trend of reduced ethylene production and better maintenance of firmness was observed in apple cultivars as a response to this treatment.

International Postharvest Science Conference Postharvest 96

C. Chervin, A. Jessup, A. Hamilton, S. Kreidl, S. Kulkarni, P. Franz

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1998.464.40