Location: Commodity Protection and Quality Research
Project Number: 2034-43000-043-050-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Oct 1, 2022
End Date: Jun 30, 2023
Objective:
Develop novel postharvest treatments to control key pests in trade and marketing channels of fresh California citrus exports.
Approach:
Conduct research outlined in USDA-Foreign Agricultural Service grant #2020-05, Year 3, Phase 3: Four events in the citrus "system" will be evaluated at the commercial scale.
Event 1: ethyl formate (EF) fumigation - required for domestic ACP quarantine;
Event 2: standard packing (washing, spraying, brushing, waxing, drying);
Event 3: phosphine fumigation at pulp T > 40F for 12 h; and
Event 4: 21-d shipping (37F and 45F for oranges and lemons, respectively).
With respect to orange varieties not investigated in/not produced under CDFA quarantine for ACP, we will quantify three systems scenarios (#1: E2'E4; #2: E2'E3; #3: E2'E3'E4) relative to the control (C: E2'E4) for efficacy toward bean thrips, flat mites, California red scale, Fullers rose beetle, and plant pathogens. We will also conduct a quality evaluation (decay, rind damage, color, brix, texture, acidity).
