Irradiation for postharvest control of quarantine insects.

Abstract

Interest in the use of irradiation as a phytosanitary treatment for agricultural commodities is growing worldwide, particularly since publication of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) standard that endorses and facilitates trade based on this disinfestation method. Irradiation is broadly effective against insects and mites at doses that do not compromise quality of most commodities. Unlike other disinfestation techniques, irradiation does not need to kill the pest immediately to provide quarantine security, and therefore live but sterile or not viable insects may occur with the exported commodity making inspection for the target pests redundant. Generic irradiation treatments have been approved in the USA to control broad groups of insects in all commodities. The approved generic doses are 150 Gy for tephritid fruit flies and 400 Gy for all insects except Lepidoptera pupae and adults (which may require higher doses). Generic irradiation treatments will accelerate the approval of irradiation quarantine treatments for specific crops and expedite new trade in agricultural products because research will no longer be needed for each quarantine pest and commodity. The availability of generic treatments makes irradiation an attractive option compared with other quarantine treatments.