The System Performance of a Modified Atmosphere Treatment for Arthropod Pest Control

Abstract

Low oxygen conditions (< 1%) have been demonstrated to be an effectivefumigation treatment for five different greenhouse pests. The modified atmospheretreatment was tested on fungus gnat larvae (Bradysia sp.), green peach aphids (Myzuspersicae (Sulzer)), sweetpotato whitefly (Bemisia sp.), twospotted spider mite(Tetranychus urticae Koch), and western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis(Pergande)) at different life stages. The initial studies were conducted in Petri disheswith the insects on leaf discs. The objective of the present research is to scale up thetest apparatus for experiments using infested whole plants under low oxygen conditions.Before the new set of experiments begin, a redesigned test set-up needed to beassembled and the systems performance verified. A total of 12 10-L vessels will beused for the control and hypoxia treatments with six vessels per group. Humidifiedcompressed air will be fed to the control group, while humidified nitrogen gas will begiven to the hypoxia treatment group. Future testing may include mixed N2 and CO2gases. The testing will be conducted in a controlled environment with a set temperatureof 25C. The temperature and relative humidity levels within the vessels will bemonitored, as well as the oxygen and carbon dioxide contents. The system performancecharacteristics will be presented.