Insects (Jan 2024)

Ethyl Formate Fumigation against Pineapple Mealybug, <i>Dysmicoccus brevipes</i>, a Quarantine Insect Pest of Pineapples

  • Tae Hyung Kwon,
  • Dong-Bin Kim,
  • Bongsu Kim,
  • Joanna Bloese,
  • Byung-Ho Lee,
  • Dong H. Cha

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15010025
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 1
p. 25

Abstract

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Pineapple mealybug, Dysmicoccus brevipes (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is a significant pest in pineapple production and a key trade barrier. We explored the potential use of ethyl formate (EF) as a methyl bromide alternative for the postharvest fumigation of D. brevipes in imported pineapples. When treated at 8 °C for 4 h, EF fumigation was effective against D. brevipes with LCt99, the lethal concentration × time product of EF necessary to achieve 99% mortality of D. brevipes nymphs and adults at 64.2 and 134.8 g h/m3, respectively. Sorption trials conducted with 70 g/m3 EF for 4 h at 8 °C using 7.5, 15 and 30% pineapple loading ratios (w/v) indicated that loading ratio lower than 30% is necessary to achieve the LCt99 values required to control D. brevipes. In a scaled up trial using 1 m3 chamber, EF fumigation with 70 g/m3 for 4 h at 8 °C with 20% pineapple loading ratio (w/v) resulted in a complete control of D. brevipes treated. There were no significant differences in hue values, sugar contents, firmness, and weight loss between EF-treated and untreated pineapples. Our results suggest that EF is a promising alternative to methyl bromide fumigation for the postharvest phytosanitary disinfection of D. brevipes in pineapples.

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