Inhibitory Dose of Electron Beam and X-Ray Radiation for Bemisia tabaci Control in Exports of Fresh Strawberries

Abstract

Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch) is a fresh agricultural product and a major export commodity of South Korea. Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is an economically important pest in agriculture. We investigated the effects of electron beam and X-ray irradiation on the disinfestation of B. tabaci in packaging boxes of fresh strawberries intended for export. Hatching of B. tabaci eggs was completely prevented by both electron beam irradiation at 150 Gy and X-ray irradiation at 70 Gy. Nymphal development into adults was entirely inhibited by 150 Gy of either electron beam or X-ray irradiation. When B. tabaci adults were irradiated with 100 Gy (both electron beam and X-ray), some adults laid eggs, but none of the eggs hatched. To assess the efficacy of electron beam and X-ray irradiation for quarantine treatment, B. tabaci individuals were placed at the top, middle, and bottom layers of strawberry packing boxes and exposed to various doses (150, 200, and 300 Gy) of radiation. These results suggest that a minimum dose of 150 Gy of either electron beam or X-ray irradiation is effective for controlling B. tabaci in strawberries destined for export.