Quarantine treatment of grapefruits infested by Anastrepha suspensa
In Florida (US), experiments were carried out to investigate the efficiency of hot-air quarantine treatment to disinfect grapefruits infested by Anastrepha suspensa (EPPO A1 quarantine pest). ;An exposure time of 202 min, giving a mean centre pulp temperature of 45,7ø C, was needed to reach 99,9968% mortality (probit 9) of the pest larvae. A confirmatory test resulted in no survivors when 115 037 A. suspensa larvae in 3 480 infested grapefruits were heated with 48ø C forced air at an average of 0,75 m3s-1 air flow rate until the centre pulp temperature was ò44ø C, which required ò150 min of heating.
This item has been available in INFOEPPO since 1993-05-24!
Sources
Sharp, J.L. (1993) Hot-air quarantine treatment for 'Marsh' white grapefruit infested with Caribbean fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae).
Journal of Economic Entomology 86, 462-464.