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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 #109462

Title: RESPONSE OF NAVEL ORANGEWORM AND INDIANMEAL MOTH EGGS TO LOW TEMPERATURE STORAGE

Author
item Johnson, Judy
item Valero, Karen

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/19/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: JOHNSON, J.A., VALERO, K.A. RESPONSE OF NAVEL ORANGEWORM AND INDIANMEAL MOTH EGGS TO LOW TEMPERATURE STORAGE. MEETING ABSTRACT. 1999.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Dried fruit and nut processors currently rely on the fumigants methyl bromide and phosphine to disinfest their product of postharvest insects. Various alternative treatment methods have been suggested, including the fumigant sulfuryl fluoride and systems that combine disinfestation treatments with low temperature storage. Insect eggs are relatively tolerant of sulfuryl fluoride, which reduces its utility against common storage insects such as the Indianmeal moth. In combination treatments, low temperature storage serves to protect clean product from reinfestation, rather than disinfesting contaminated product. However, contamination of recently disinfested product with pyralid moth eggs is possible before the product can be moved into cold storage. Preliminary studies indicate that eggs of Indianmeal moth (Plodia interpunctella) and navel orangeworm (Amyelois transitella) are relatively susceptible to low temperatures. Results of the current study show that relatively short-term (< 2 weeks) low temperature storage of product containing only pyralid eggs would provide sufficient control. The storage durations needed to obtain 95% mortality decreases with temperature, and are unaffected by relative humidity. Suitable storage times for the most tolerant eggs at 10, 5 and 0C were 12, 10 and 8 days, respectively.