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Submitted to: Area-Wide Control of Insect Pests: From Research to Field Implementation
Publication Type: Book / Chapter Publication Acceptance Date: 12/20/2005 Publication Date: 12/1/2007 Citation: Follett, P.A. 2007. Postharvest phytosanitary radiation treatments: less-than-probit 9, generic dose, and high dose applications. In: M.J.B Vreysen, A.S. Robinson and J. Hendrichs (eds.), Area-Wide Control of Insect Pests: From Research to Field Implementation. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer. p. 425-434. Interpretive Summary: Generic irradiation treatments are being developed to control broad groups of insects or insects in all commodities, and will expedite new trade in agricultural products. High dose or default dose treatments are also being used by determining an irradiation dose at the upper limit of what is believed to control the insect groups that infest a commodity without specific data for the quarantine species of concern. For quarantine insects on poor or rarely infested hosts, the probit 9 standard for quarantine treatment efficacy—99.9968% mortality—can be replaced by risk-based less-than-probit 9 approaches that reduce the severity of the quarantine treatment and the number of insects required for testing during treatment development. The availability of generic and high dose treatments makes irradiation an attractive option compared with other quarantine treatments. Technical Abstract: With world trade in agricultural commodities increasing, the introduction of exotic insects into new areas where they become pests will increase. Interest in the use of irradiation as a phytosanitary treatment for agricultural commodities is growing worldwide. Irradiation is broadly effective against insects and mites at doses that do not compromise quality of most commodities. Unlike other disinfestation techniques, irradiation does not need to kill the pest immediately to provide quarantine security, and therefore live but incapacitated or sterile insects may occur with the exported commodity making inspection for the target pests redundant. Generic irradiation treatments are being developed to control broad groups of insects or insects in all commodities, and will expedite new trade in agricultural products. High dose or default dose treatments are also being used by determining an irradiation dose at the upper limit of what is believed to control the insect groups that infest a commodity without specific data for the quarantine species of concern. For quarantine insects on poor or rarely infested hosts, the probit 9 standard for quarantine treatment efficacy—99.9968% mortality—can be replaced by risk-based less-than-probit 9 approaches that reduce the severity of the quarantine treatment and the number of insects required for testing during treatment development. The availability of generic and high dose treatments makes irradiation an attractive option compared with other quarantine treatments. |
