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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Hilo, Hawaii » Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center » Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #196188

Title: IRRADIATION AS A PHYTOSANITARY TREATMENT FOR WHITE PEACH SCALE (HOMOPTERA: DIASPIDIDAE)

Author
item Follett, Peter

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/2/2006
Publication Date: 12/4/2006
Citation: Follett, P.A. 2006. Irradiation as a phytosanitary treatment for white peach scale (Homoptera: Diaspididae). J. Econ. Entomol. 99: 1974-1978.

Interpretive Summary: Irradiation was examined as a potential phytosanitary treatment to control white peach scale, Pseudaulacaspis pentagona (Targioni-Tozzetti) (Homoptera: Diaspididae), a serious quarantine pest of papaya in Hawaii. Dose response and large scale validation tests were conducted. Irradiation treatment of more than 35,000 adult female scales at a dose of 150 Gy prevented reproduction in the following generation. Irradiation treatment with a minimum dose of 150 Gy should provide quarantine security for white peach scale on exported papaya and other commodities.

Technical Abstract: Irradiation was examined as a potential phytosanitary treatment to control white peach scale, Pseudaulacaspis pentagona (Targioni-Tozzetti) (Homoptera: Diaspididae), a serious quarantine pest of papaya in Hawaii. Dose response tests were conducted with 2nd stage nymphs, adult females without eggs, and adult females with eggs at a series of irradiation doses between 60-150 Gy to determine the most tolerant stage. The adult female with eggs was the most tolerant stage. In large-scale validation tests 35,424 adult female scales with and without eggs irradiated at a dose of 150 Gy produced no F1 generation adults with eggs. Irradiation treatment with a minimum absorbed dose of 150 Gy should provide quarantine security for white peach scale on exported papaya and other commodities.