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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Parlier, California » San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center » Commodity Protection and Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #267657
Title: Postharvest treatment of strawberries with methyl bromide to control spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii

Author
item Walse, Spencer
item Krugner, Rodrigo
item Tebbets, John

Submitted to: Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/7/2012
Publication Date: 9/1/2012
Citation: Walse, S.S., Krugner, R., Tebbets, J.S. 2012. Postharvest treatment of strawberries with methyl bromide to control spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii. Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology. 15:451-456.

Interpretive Summary: Postharvest chamber fumigation is a critical element of the California specialty crop industry, as it provides a biological safeguard against pests and, in many scenarios, is the only available tool for government and industry to guarantee pest-free security and food safety. Failure to disinfest specialty crops in trade and marketing channels can result in insect- and microbial-derived damage with severe consequences to economic profitability and consumer health. This report outlines the insecticidal efficacy of methyl bromide toward spotted wing drosophila in a simulated export scenario where California-grown strawberries were infested in the laboratory prior to testing. This report resulted in the export of California-grown strawberries to Australia during the 2011 shipping season.

Technical Abstract: Spotted wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii, is a pest of concern to countries that import strawberries from California USA. The purpose of this investigation was to verify elimination of SWD in California-grown fresh strawberries under conditions consistent with export to Australia; a 3-h fumigation using a 48 mgL-1 (3.0 lbs/1000 ft3) applied methyl bromide (MB) dose with pulp temperature >18 °C. At 18 ± 0.5 °C, complete mortality of (n ± SE) 105,173 ± 3,446 internal feeding large larvae (ca. 60 to 108-h old at fumigation), the most tolerant SWD life stage, was achieved at applied MB doses >34.5 mgL-1 and exposures, expressed as a concentration x time cross products (CTs), >80.3 mgL-1h.