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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wapato, Washington » Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #150628

Title: USE OF HOT WATER TREATMENT TO CONTROL CODLING MOTHS IN HARVESTED CALIFORNIA 'BING' SWEET CHERRIES

Author
item FENG, XUQIAO - UNIV OF CA @ DAVIS
item Hansen, James D
item BIASI, BILL - UNIV OF CA @ DAVIS
item TANG, JUMING - WA ST UNIV, BIO SYST ENG
item MITCHAM, ELIZABETH - UNIV OF CA @ DAVIS

Submitted to: Postharvest Biology and Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/23/2003
Publication Date: 1/28/2004
Citation: Feng, X., Hansen, J.D., Biasi, B., Tang, J., Mitcham, E. 2004. Use of hot water treatment to control codling moths in harvested California 'Bing' sweet cherries. Postharvest Biology and Technology. 31:51-58

Interpretive Summary: Currently, cherries from the United States must undergo methyl bromide fumigation so that the fruits can be exported to Japan, a major market. Because of international agreements, the use of this fumigant may be discontinued. Postharvest thermal treatments have been proposed as a replacement for eliminating codling moths. In this study, we examined hot water baths, followed by water cooling, as a possible treatment against the codling moth. Fruit quality measurements indicate a narrow range of efficacious bath temperatures and durations. The process may be feasible for air shipped fruits, but not for sea shipments.

Technical Abstract: Preharvest gibberellic acid-treated California `Bing' sweet cherries (Prunus avium L.) were treated with hot water baths (46 degrees C to 58 degreesC for 0.25 to 18 min), followed by hydrocooling. The fruit were then stored to simulate either air shipment or sea shipment to overseas markets, both followed by 15 h of shelf life at 20 degrees C. In separate experiments, cherries were also infested with codling moth larvae and subjected to similar hot water bath heating. The quality attributes showed different sensitivity to the combinations of temperature and time used for hot water bath treatment. Pitting was more common in fruit treated at lower temperatures for longer times, while stem browning was more common in fruit treated at high temperatures. Berry browning, stem color, and pitting were the quality attributes most affected by heat treatment. Browning of cherry stem color was a crucial factor in determining whether a combination of temperature and time for hot water bath treatment was successful. All cherries stored at 0 degrees C for 14 days to simulate sea shipment were of unacceptable quality after shelf life. Hot water bath treatments that provided 100% codling moth mortality and maintained overall acceptable fruit quality were very limited and included treatments at 50 degrees C for 10 min and at 54 degrees C for 6 min. Delaying the hot water bath treatment after fruit harvest, even if the cherries were kept at 0 degrees C, resulted in a greater loss in fruit quality compared with those treated on the harvest day. Using hot water baths as a quarantine treatment for codling moths (Cydia pomonella) on sweet cherries may be feasible if fruit are air shipped at 5 degrees C for 2 days, but not suitable if fruit are sea shipped at 0 degrees C for 14 days.