Author(s)

Yong-Biao Liu^*, Gregory S. Simmons

USDA-ARS, Salinas, CA, USA.

Light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana, is a quarantine pest in most countries and has established in California and, therefore, has potential to affect export of fresh products from infested areas. There is currently lack of effective treatment especially against eggs. Nitric oxide is a recently discovered fumigant for postharvest pest control and is evaluated in laboratory fumigations to determine its efficacy against different life stages of this pest. Small scale fumigations with nitric oxide at 1.0%, 2.0%, 3.0%, and 5.0% concentrations were conducted under ultralow oxygen conditions at 2˚C against larvae, pupae, and eggs of light brown apple moth. Treatment times ranged from 4 to 24 h depending on nitric oxide concentration and life stage. Complete control of larvae and pupae was achieved in 8 h fumigation with 2.0% NO. Eggs were successfully controlled in 6, 12, and 24 h fumigations with 5.0%, 3.0%, and 2.0% NO respectively. The study demonstrated that nitric oxide fumigation was effective against all life stages of light brown apple moth and, therefore, has potential to be an alternative treatment to methyl bromide fumigation for postharvest control of light brown apple moth.

Quarantine Treatment, Nitric Oxide, Fumigation, Light Brown Apple Moth

Liu, Y. and Simmons, G. (2021) Effects of Nitric Oxide Fumigation on Mortality of Light Brown Apple Moth, Epiphyas postvittana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)*. Agricultural Sciences, 12, 1286-1294. doi: 10.4236/as.2021.1211082.