Author
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Hansen, James D |
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Heidt, Mildred - Millie |
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Submitted to: Journal of Kansas Entomological Society
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 1/5/2006 Publication Date: 4/19/2006 Citation: Hansen, J.D., Heidt, M.L. 2006. Codling moth larval survival under heated anaerobic conditions. Journal of Kansas Entomological Society. 79(2):207-209. Interpretive Summary: Postharvest sanitation and quarantine methods often use heat to control pests. Some of these, such as vapor heat, are done under aerobic conditions whereas others, like hot water dips, are performed under oxygen restricted environments. Much has been done to measure the thermal effects, but little is known about how anaerobic states improve treatment efficacy. This laboratory study compared the effects of standard air, nitrogen saturated atmosphere, vacuum, and water submersion on codling moth larval survival when all were subjected to the same thermal treatment. We found that the anaerobic nitrogen saturation component significantly improves treatment efficacy. This valuable information will aid in the development of efficacious postharvest thermal treatments. Technical Abstract: Thermal treatments are increasingly being implemented for postharvest quarantine and phytosanitation control for commodity pests like the codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Adding an anaerobic component should increase efficacy, but no previous studies had indicated to what extent. Here, we evaluated the survival of fifth instar codling moth at 50°C in standard pressurized air, in static air, in saturated nitrogen, in a vacuum, and under water for different durations. No larvae survived more than 15 min under anaerobic conditions, yet 36.0 +/-' 11.7% (mean +/-'SEM) survived heated standard pressurize air for 30 min. These data support the development of anaerobic methods for postharvest treatments as long as commodity quality is not adversely affected. |
