ARS | Publication request: Phytosanitation with Ionising Radiation

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: November 9, 2007
Publication Date: December 21, 2007
Citation: Heather, N., Hallman, G.J. 2007. Phytosanitation with Ionising Radiation. In: Pest Management and Phytosanitary Trade Barriers. Wallingford, UK:CAB International, p. 132-152.

Technical Abstract: This book chapter by Neil Heather and Guy Hallman, in “Pest Management and Phytosanitary Trade Barriers,” CABI Press, covers ionizing irradiation phytosanitary treatments. Although irradiation as an idea and research object has as long a phytosanitary history an any other phytosanitary treatment, commercial application is relatively recent. Although the first publication is dated 1929, the first commercial trial use was in 1986, the first continuous commercial use began in 1995, and the first commercial international use began in 2004. A key technical reason for the delay in implementation of irradiation, is the fact that at doses tolerated by fresh commodities, irradiation does not cause acute mortality, like all other phytosanitary treatments, but is prevents further development from occurring. Therefore, inspectors may find live pests after proper irradiation. This problem has been surmounted by dependence on strict certification of treatment, a development that should be applied to other treatments as well. Irradiation is tolerated by more fresh commodities at the doses required for tephritid fruit flies and many other pests compared with any other commercial treatment.