EPPO Global Database

EPPO Reporting Service no. 03 - 1996 Num. article: 1996/56

Quarantine treatment to control Ceratitis capitata, Bactrocera cucurbitae and B. dorsalis in papaya


A forced hot-air quarantine treatment to control eggs and larvae of Ceratitis capitata (EPPO A2 quarantine pest), Bactrocera cucurbitae and B. dorsalis (both EPPO A1 quarantine pests) in papaya (Carica papaya) has been developed in Hawaii (US). The treatment of papaya is the following: forced hot-air at 48.5 ± 0.5 °C with 40-60 % RH until the fruit centre temperature reached 47.2 °C. The duration of treatment necessary to reach the probit 9 quarantine security is 3.5 ± 0.25 h. When the fruit centre reaches 47.2 °C, papayas are immediately cooled in water until the fruit centre temperature is = 30 °C. Treated fruits were not damaged by this treatment. However, the characteristic odour of papaya was not as strong in treated fruit as in the controls. The authors concluded that this single-stage, forced hot-air treatment is an efficacious quarantine treatment for papayas.

Sources

Armstrong, J.W.; Hu, B.K.S; Brown, S.A. (1995) Single-temperature forced hot-air quarantine treatment to control fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in papaya.
Journal of Economic Entomology, 88(3), 678-682.