Fumigants as treatments for harvested citrus fruits infested with Asynonychus godmani (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
1991
Soderstrom, E.L. | Brandl, D.G. | Hartsell, P.L. | Mackey, B.
Ethyl formate, hydrogen cyanide, phosphine, and methyl bromide fumigants were tested for their efficacy for postharvest control of eggs of Fuller rose beetle, Asynonychus godmani Crotch, on lemons. Fuller rose beetle is a quarantine pest of citrus fruits entering Japan. Only methyl bromide use appears to be feasible for fumigating citrus fruits infested with beetle eggs. Fumigation of infested, unprocessed lemons at a 50% load factor for 2 h at 21 degrees C with 44 g/m3 of methyl bromide resulted in a concentration X exposure time (CT) product of 75.6 g.h/m3, with mortality to eggs of 99.94%. Inorganic methyl bromide residue in lemon fruit pulp and peel averaged 5.0 and 12.2 ppm, respectively. Supplementing methyl bromide fumigation with 20% carbon dioxide did not improve insect mortality. Cold storage and shipping temperatures (normally used in handling citrus fruits destined for Japan) combined with methyl bromide fumigation also did not improve efficacy.
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