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.
Sumario
El ácaro erinoso, Aceria litchii (Keifer) (Acari: Eriophyidae), es una plaga importante del lichi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.; Sapindaceae). Su reciente detección en el condado de Lee en Florida resulto en el establecimiento de una cuarentena, por lo cual, ningún material de lichi, incluida la fruta, puede ser transportada fuera del condado. Se necesitan urgentemente tratamientos de post-cosecha que puedan desinfestar la fruta de estos ácaros. Los resultados de este estudio indican que la inmersión de frutos en una solución de aceite parafínico al 3 y 5% durante 60 segundos puede desinfestar la fruta completamente de A. litchii y otros artrópodos. En los cultivares ‘Mauritius’ y ‘Brewster’ este tratamiento tuvo un efecto positivo en la calidad de la fruta durante diez días posteriores al tratamiento. La inmersión de frutos en soluciones de aceite parafínico durante la post-cosecha mostro un control efectivo de A. litchii sin afectar la calidad de los frutos. Este tratamiento podría permitir que los productores de lichi en el condado de Lee puedan transportar y vender frutos afuera del área cuarentenada.
Key Words: quarantine; treatments; Acari; invasive pest; biosecurity; Eriophyidae
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