ARS | Publication request: Hypoxia Reduces Reproductive Susceptibility of Plum Curculio (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to Ionizing Radiation

Submitted to: Florida Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: March 22, 2005
Publication Date: June 17, 2005
Citation: Hallman, G.J. 2005. Hypoxia reduces reproductive susceptibility of plum curculio (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to ionizing radiation. Florida Entomologist. 88:208-210.

Interpretive Summary: This study demonstrated that storing hosts of plum curculio weevil, such as apples, under low oxygen conditions, reduces the efficacy of irradiation quarantine treatment of the weevil. A dose of 92 Gy (a term used to describe maximum exposure) was demonstrated in previous research to provide quarantine security under normal atmospheres. The current research indicates that a dose for commodities in modified atmosphere storage would need to be raised to perhaps double that, or about 180 Gy. The ultimate dose would need to be confirmed by large-scale testing.

Technical Abstract: Adult plum curculios irradiated in a hypoxic atmosphere accomplished by flushing a cylinder with nitrogen gas were more tolerant of ionizing radiation than plum curculios irradiated in ambient atmosphere. Some hosts of plum curculio, such as apples, are stored under hypoxia. An irradiation quarantine treatment against plum curculio for apples stored in hypoxia would probably need to be greater than the 92 Gy determined to be efficacious in ambient atmosphere.