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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Plant Pathology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #314328

Title: Postharvest quarantine treatments for Diaphorina citri on infested curry leaves

Author
item ANCO, DANIEL - North Carolina State University
item Poole, Gavin
item Gottwald, Timothy

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/2015
Publication Date: 2/2/2015
Citation: Anco, D.J., Poole, G.H., Gottwald, T.R. 2015. Postharvest quarantine treatments for Diaphorina citri on infested curry leaves. Plant Disease. 99(7):926-932. doi: 10.1094/PDIS-12-14-1271-RE.

Interpretive Summary: Curry leaves infested with Asian citrus psyllid nymphs were treated at different temperatures for various durations with and without a disinfectant to determine nymph death and removal rates as well as resultant curry leaf tissue damage. Treatments at 50°C or those involving the disinfectant typically resulted in 100% nymph death, the most nymph removal (~24%) occurred after treatment at 40°C with the disinfectant, while treatments at 40 and 0°C for 5 min with the disinfectant resulted in a minimal, insignificant increase in curry leaf tissue damage. These results may be very useful in amending current decontamination options for citrus and citrus relative foliage.

Technical Abstract: Studies were conducted to evaluate treatments that reduce survival and attachment of Diaphorina citri nymphs on infested curry leaves (Bergera koenigii). Decontamination of curry leaves infested with D. citri in relation to disinfectant (none or Pro-San), temperature (0, 40, and 50°C), and treatment duration (0, 5, 10, and 20 min) was examined using a split-split plot design. Experiments were performed three times. Treatment duration did not significantly affect D. citri nymph survival or removal (P > 0.2). Temperature and disinfectant each significantly affected D. citri nymph survival and removal (P < 0.031). The interaction of temperature and disinfectant was significant with respect to nymph survival (P < 0.0001) but did not significantly affect removal (P = 0.4589). Tissue damage was significantly affected by temperature (P = 0.0056), duration (P = 0.0023), the interaction of temperature and duration (P = 0.0320), and the interaction of disinfectant, temperature, and duration (P = 0.0410). Of the treatments resulting in 100% D. citri nymph mortality on infested curry leaves, 40°C for 5 min with Pro-San was accompanied with the least proportion curry leaf tissue damage (0.14 greater than untreated control, P = 0.25). Results from these studies may be useful in formulation of future regulatory policies regarding trade of citrus foliage, especially those used as condiments.