A high temperature/low oxygen pulse improves cold storage disinfestation

Abstract

Short periods of elevated temperature under controlled atmospheres (CA) effectively control insect pests. Cold treatment is also an effective non-chemical disinfestation process. If synergistic effects can be found by combining treatments, these may provide opportunities for cost reduction. Tests were performed to evaluate the tolerance of Packham's Triumph pears (Pyrus communis L.) to a range of temperatures (30–40 °C) combined with low oxygen (O2 < 1 kPa). Treatment duration was 16–48 h and was followed by 1 month storage at 0 °C under air. When held at 30 °C, pears withstood up to 30 h of hypoxia. After cold storage, pears ripened slightly faster than controls but were undamaged. A temperature of 35 °C induced slight skin browning, and 40 °C resulted in substantial skin blackening. Some treatments were also tested on survival of lightbrown apple moth (LBAM), Epiphyas postvittana (Walker). All developmental stages were subjected to either 16 h at 30 °C, or 16 h under hypoxia, or 1 month at 0 °C, or a combination of the three treatments. With all treatments combined, all eggs, larvae and adults were killed. Only 4% of the pupae produced adults and combined treatments led to an increase in pupa mortality of 38%. A combined treatment (tolerated by pears) consisting of 30 h at 30 °C under low O2 plus 1 month cold storage under air, killed 100% of LBAM pupae, and 100% of 5th instar larvae of both codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), and oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta (Busck). Implementation of such treatments would not require substantial investments for fruit industries equipped with CA storage facilities.