Post-Harvest Paraffinic Oil Dips to Disinfest Lychee Fruit of Lychee Erinose Mite

Abstract

The lychee erinose mite, Aceria litchii (Keifer) (Acari: Eriophyidae), is an important pest of lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.; Sapindaceae). Its recent interception in Lee County, Florida, USA, resulted in a quarantine whereby no lychee material, including fruit, can be transferred outside the county. Therefore, there is an urgent need for post-harvest treatments that can disinfest the fruit of the pest. Results of this study indicate that post-harvest dips in paraffinic oil solutions, 3 and 5%, for 60 s can achieve complete disinfestation of lychee fruit of A. litchii motile stages as well as other arthropods. In both ‘Mauritius' and ‘Brewster’ cultivars the treatments had a beneficial effect on fruit quality for the first 10 d after treatment. Post-harvest dips in paraffinic oil showed effective control of A. litchii without a noticeable reduction in fruit quality. Hence, this treatment might allow growers in Lee County to transport lychee fruit outside the quarantine zone.