Location: Commodity Protection and Quality Research
Project Number: 2034-43000-043-066-T
Project Type: Trust Fund Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Nov 20, 2023
End Date: Jun 30, 2025
Objective:
Identify technically and economically efficient phytosanitary treatments and/or systems approaches to market Maui-grown limes in the Continental United States.
Approach:
In general, use a cooperative effort between industry, USDA-ARS, and USDA APHIS to lessen the burden of invasive fruit flies on United States growers. Identify short-term and long-term technical phytosanitary approaches to market limes grown in Maui, HI. Evaluate the insecticidal efficacy as well as operational and logistical feasibility of such approaches and work with industry to tailor potential treatments to optimize efficiency and minimize cost. Evaluate “standalone” postharvest phytosanitary treatments currently approved to allow movement of fruit from regions infested with Tephritid fruit flies. Evaluate a “systems-approach” comprised of sequential pre- and post-harvest activities that collectively provide control of Tephritid fruit flies. “Systems-approaches”, which are tailored to address the nuances of specific marketing challenges, have gained national and international acceptance over the last decade for an ability to ensure safe, pest-free fruit, is marketed with operational and economic efficiency.
