Abstract
Abstract Biocontrol organisms respond to olfactory cues with behavior which can affect their efficacy as pest control agents. Investigations into olfactory stimuli and responses often use four-armed olfactometers for laboratory experiments. Performance evaluations of the olfactometers have generally been qualitative and based on visual assessment. A quantitative technique for characterizing the air flow and gas mixing in a four-armed olfactometer was developed. Ethylene gas was injected into the flow stream for each channel of the olfactometer. Samples of air at various locations in the olfactometer chamber were drawn through hypodermic probes and the concentration of ethylene in the samples were determined by gas chromatography. Flow boundaries between adjacent channels were not distinct and mixing between channels was observed, although concentration spatial gradients were high in the boundary regions. Mixing increased as flow neared a central outlet. Gross assessments of organism behavior in olfactometers appear valid in spite of flow mixing.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
