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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Salinas, California » Crop Improvement and Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #374229
Research Project: Methyl Bromide Replacement: Post-harvest Treatment of Perishable Commodities

Location: Crop Improvement and Protection Research

Title: Nitric oxide fumigation for control of navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella, on walnut

Author
item YANG, XIANGBING - University Of California
item Liu, Yong Biao
item SIMMONS, GREGORY - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item Light, Douglas
item Haff, Ronald - Ron

Submitted to: Journal of Applied Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/16/2020
Publication Date: 12/5/2020
Citation: Yang, X., Liu, Y.-B., Simmons, G., Light, D.M., Haff, R.P. 2020. Nitric oxide fumigation for control of navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella, on walnut. Journal of Applied Entomology. 145(3):270-276. https://doi.org/10.1111/jen.12846.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jen.12846

Interpretive Summary: The navel orange worm (NOW) is a major postharvest pest of tree nuts and postharvest treatment is needed to control the pest on harvested tree nuts including walnuts. Nitric oxide (NO) is a recently discovered fumigant for postharvest pest control. In this study, NO fumigation under ultralow oxygen conditions was studied for efficacy in controlling NOW eggs, larvae, and pupae on walnut. Effective control of NOW was achieved on artificial diet and in infested walnuts. Fumigation time ranged from 4 to 24 h depending on NO concentration which ranged from 0.5 to 3.0%. Eggs were less susceptible than larvae and pupae to NO fumigation and complete control of NOW eggs was achieved in 8 and 16 h fumigation with 3.0 and 2.0% NO, respectively. NOW larvae and pupae in infested walnuts were similarly susceptible to NO fumigation as those on artificial diet. This study demonstrated the efficacy of NO fumigation against NOW at different life stages on walnut and its potential as an alternative postharvest treatment for the pest.

Technical Abstract: The navel orange worm (NOW), Amyelois transitella (Walker), is a major postharvest pest of tree nuts including walnut, almonds, and pistachios. Nitric oxide (NO) was recently discovered to be a potential fumigant under ultralow oxygen conditions for postharvest pest control. In this study, NO fumigation was evaluated for efficacy against eggs, larvae, and pupae of NOW. NO fumigation was found to be similarly effective against NOW on artificial diet and in infested walnuts. Fumigations of 4, 8, and 16 h with 2.0, 1.0, and 0.5% NO, respectively, achieved complete control of small and large larvae in artificial diet. Complete control of pupae on artificial diet was achieved in 8, 16, and 24 h fumigations with 2.0, 1.0, and 0.5% NO, respectively. For NOW in infested walnuts, complete control was achieved in 6, 8, and 16 h fumigations with 1.5, 1.0, and 0.5% NO respectively for small larvae; in 4, 8, and 24 h fumigations with 2.0, 1.0, and 0.5% NO respectively for large larvae, and in 8, 16, and 24 h fumigations with 2.0, 1.0, and 0.5% NO respectively for pupae. Eggs were more tolerant to NO fumigation than larvae and pupae and complete control of NOW eggs was achieved in 8 and 16 h fumigation with 3.0 and 2.0% NO, respectively. This study demonstrated the efficacy of NO fumigation against NOW on walnut and its potential as an alternative postharvest treatment for the pest.