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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Parlier, California » San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center » Commodity Protection and Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #57316
Title: HIGH TEMPERATURE AND CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERES FOR CONTROL OF CODLING MOTH (LEPIDOPTERA: TORTRICIDAE) IN WALNUT FRUIT

Author
item Soderstrom, Edwin
item Brandl, David
item Mackey, Bruce

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/20/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: This research evaluated high temperatures (30 - 45C) as a method for reducing the time needed to kill Cydia pomonella (L.) with carbon dioxide enriched or oxygen deficient atmospheres. Elevating temperature increases insect metabolism and makes them more susceptible to suffocation with controlled atmospheres. This substantially reduced the time needed to kill lthem. This research shows the importance of combining high temperature and controlled atmospheres to reduce treatment time, especially when it is essential to move commodities rapidly through the marketing system.

Technical Abstract: High temperature alone and with controlled atmospheres were effective in killing diapausing codling moth larvae, Cydia pomonella (L.). Larvae were exposed to atmospheres of air, 0.5% oxygen (O2) in nitrogen (N2), 0.5% O2 + 10% carbon dioxide (CO2) in N2, or to 98% CO2 in air, at temperatures of 39 41, 43, or 45C, and 60% relative humidity. LT95s were determined for each atmosphere-temperature combination. Higher temperature effected a more rapid kill. Ninety-eight percent CO2 was the most effective atmosphere. The two 0.5% O2 atmospheres were intermediate in effectiveness and were not significantly different from each other. Air was the least effective, but was lethal at even the lowest temperature. The LT95s for each atmosphere were fit to an asymptotic mathematical model to describe the effect of temperature