Contact Information: 

Commodity Protection and Quality

San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center

9611 S. Riverbend Ave.

Parlier, CA   93648

(559) 596-2768 (voice)

judy.johnson@ars.usda.gov

 

Much of the U.S.production of dried fruits and tree nuts occurs in the central valley of California.  To provide consumers with quality product, processors must control postharvest insect pests.   My current research involves the development of non-chemical treatments to solve this issue.   I am concerned primarily with physical treatments using temperature extremes or vacuum, but I am also interested in insect parasitoids as control agents.   The target pests for most of this work include both field pests of postharvest significance and stored product pests.

 

Recent Publications

 

Johnson, J. A., Walse, S. S., Gerik, J. S. 2012. Status of alternatives for methyl bromide in the United States.

 

Jiao, S., Johnson, J. A., Fellman, J. K., Mattinson, D. S., Tang, J., Davenport, T. L., and Wang, S.  2012. Evaluating the storage environment in hypobaric chambers used for disinfesting fresh fruits.

 

Jiao, S., Johnson, J. A., Tang, J.,and Wang. S.  2012.  Industrial-scale radio frequency treatments for insect control in lentils.

 

Jiao, S., Johnson, J. A., Tang, J., Tiwari, G., and Wang, S.  2011.  Dielectric properties of cowpea weevil, black-eyed peas and mung beans with respect to the development of radio frequency heat treatments.

 

Current Research

Radio Frequency

Vacuum

Low Temperature

Parasitoids

 

Outreach Activities

 

Publications

Stored Product Insect Identification