Nitric oxide fumigation for control of navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella, on walnut

The navel orangeworm (NOW), Amyelois transitella (Walker), is a major post‐harvest pest of tree nuts including walnut, almonds and pistachios. Nitric oxide (NO) was recently discovered to be a potential fumigant under ultralow oxygen conditions for post‐harvest pest control. In this study, NO fumigation was evaluated for efficacy against eggs, larvae and pupae of NOW. NO fumigation was found to be similarly effective against NOW on artificial diet and in infested walnuts. Fumigations of 4, 8 and 16 hr with 2.0, 1.0 and 0.5% NO, respectively, achieved complete control of small and large larvae in artificial diet. Complete control of pupae on artificial diet was achieved in 8, 16 and 24 hr fumigations with 2.0, 1.0 and 0.5% NO, respectively. For NOW in infested walnuts, complete control was achieved in 6, 8 and 16 hr fumigations with 1.5, 1.0 and 0.5% NO, respectively, for small larvae; in 4‐, 8‐ and 24‐hr fumigations with 2.0, 1.0 and 0.5% NO, respectively, for large larvae; and in 8‐, 16‐ and 24‐hr fumigations with 2.0, 1.0 and 0.5% NO, respectively, for pupae. Eggs were more tolerant to NO fumigation than larvae and pupae, and complete control of NOW eggs was achieved in 8‐ and 16‐hr fumigation with 3.0 and 2.0% NO, respectively. This study demonstrated the efficacy of NO fumigation against NOW on walnut and its potential as an alternative post‐harvest treatment for the pest.

[1]  Yong‐Biao Liu,et al.  Effectiveness of Nitrogen Dioxide Fumigation for Microbial Control on Stored Almonds. , 2020, Journal of food protection.

[2]  Yong‐Biao Liu,et al.  Residue analysis of nitric oxide fumigation in nine stored grain and nut products , 2019 .

[3]  Yong‐Biao Liu,et al.  Response of Aspergillus flavus spores to nitric oxide fumigations in atmospheres with different oxygen concentrations , 2019, Journal of Stored Products Research.

[4]  Yong‐Biao Liu,et al.  Nitric Oxide Fumigation for Control of Spotted Wing Drosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in Strawberries , 2018, Journal of Economic Entomology.

[5]  Yong‐Biao Liu,et al.  Procedures of Laboratory Fumigation for Pest Control with Nitric Oxide Gas , 2017, Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE.

[6]  Yong‐Biao Liu,et al.  Residual analysis of nitric oxide fumigation on fresh fruit and vegetables , 2017 .

[7]  B. Higbee,et al.  Mating Disruption of the Navel Orangeworm (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Using Widely Spaced, Aerosol Dispensers: Is the Pheromone Blend the Most Efficacious Disruptant? , 2017, Journal of Economic Entomology.

[8]  Yong‐Biao Liu.  Nitric oxide fumigation for control of western flower thrips and its safety to postharvest quality of fresh fruit and vegetables , 2016 .

[9]  Yong‐Biao Liu,et al.  Efficacy of Nitric Oxide Fumigation for Controlling Codling Moth in Apples , 2016, Insects.

[10]  Yong‐Biao Liu,et al.  Prospect of nitric oxide as a new fumigant for post harvest pest control , 2016 .

[11]  R. Haff,et al.  Effects of X-Ray Irradiation on Male Navel Orangeworm Moths (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on Mating, Fecundity, Fertility, and Inherited Sterility , 2015, Journal of economic entomology.

[12]  Yong‐Biao Liu.  Nitric oxide as a new fumigant for postharvest pest control on fresh commodities , 2015 .

[13]  T. Michailides,et al.  Spread of Aspergillus flavus by Navel Orangeworm (Amyelois transitella) on Almond. , 2014, Plant disease.

[14]  Yong‐Biao Liu.  Nitric Oxide as a Potent Fumigant for Postharvest Pest Control , 2013, Journal of economic entomology.

[15]  B. Higbee,et al.  Field Efficacy and Application Timing of Methoxyfenozide, a Reduced-Risk Treatment for Control of Navel Orangeworm (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in Almond , 2012, Journal of economic entomology.

[16]  C. H. Bell,et al.  Proceedings of the 7 th International Working Conference on Stored-product Protection-Volume 1 The toxicity of sulfuryl fluoride ( Vikane * ) to eggs of insect pests of flour mills , 2010 .

[17]  B. Higbee,et al.  New navel orangeworm sanitation standards could reduce almond damage , 2009 .

[18]  D. Brandl,et al.  Seasonal abundance of the navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella, in figs and the effect of peripheral aerosol dispensers on sexual communication , 2004, Journal of insect science.

[19]  Nicholas R. Price,et al.  Phosphine resistance in stored-product insects collected from various grain storage facilities in Morocco , 2004 .

[20]  C. García-Mata,et al.  Nitric oxide: the versatility of an extensive signal molecule. , 2003, Annual review of plant biology.

[21]  E. Grafton-Cardwell,et al.  Effects of carbonyl sulfide, methyl iodide, and sulfuryl fluoride on fruit phytotoxicity and insect mortality , 2001 .

[22]  S. Davies.  Nitric oxide signalling in insects. , 2000, Insect biochemistry and molecular biology.

[23]  L. Lamattina,et al.  Nitric oxide stimulates seed germination and de-etiolation, and inhibits hypocotyl elongation, three light-inducible responses in plants , 2000, Planta.

[24]  U. Müller.  THE NITRIC OXIDE SYSTEM IN INSECTS , 1997, Progress in Neurobiology.

[25]  Judy A. Johnson,et al.  Survival of navel orangeworm (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) during pistachio processing , 1996 .

[26]  Themis J. Michailides,et al.  THE DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY SPLIT PISTACHIO NUTS AND THEIR CONTAMINATION BY MOLDS, AFLATOXINS, AND INSECTS , 1995 .

[27]  T. Michailides,et al.  The relationship between date of hull splitting and decay of pistachio nuts by Aspergillus species , 1995 .

[28]  E. Culotta,et al.  NO news is good news. , 1992, Science.

[29]  P. Vail,et al.  Methyl Bromide Fumigation Treatments for Pistachio Nuts to Decrease Residues and Control Navel Orangeworm, Amyelois transitella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) , 1986 .

[30]  Gwen Goodship,et al.  The toxicity of phosphine to all developmental stages of thirteen species of stored product beetles , 1976 .