Abstract
Export of Pink Lady™ apples from Australia have been significantly affected by infestations of adult eucalyptus weevil (eucalyptus snout beetle or gum tree weevil). These weevils do not damage apple trees or fruit, but rest at the petiole portion of apples when selecting overwintering sites. As a result apples infested with live eucalyptus weevils leads to rejection for export. Usage of methyl bromide as post harvest treatment is restricted under the Montreal Protocol. Therefore, it has become important to develop an alternative safe fumigant as an eradication method for eucalyptus weevil on apple. Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate ethyl formate, which is a naturally occurring volatile chemical present in many plant commodities, as fumigant for eradication of the eucalyptus weevil on apples. Laboratory and cool storage trials show that ethyl formate is highly toxic to the eucalyptus weevil and low phytotoxic to the fruit. Complete control can be achieved at 30 g m-3 of ethyl formate at 25ºC for 24 hours exposure with and without apple. In comparison with untreated apples, the colour and texture have no change 1, 2 and 3 weeks after treatment. Four field trials were conducted in cool storages (the capacity ranged from 250-900 tonnes) in Western Australia. The ethyl formate was applied at dosage of 50-55 g m-3 and low temperature (4-8ºC) for 24 hours exposure. All eucalyptus weevils were killed and after 1 day aeration, residue of ethyl formate declined to natural levels (0.05-0.2 mg kg-1). Phytotoxicity studies showed no effect on morphology or taste of apples.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Ethyl formate was highly toxic to eucalyptus weevils on apples.
- Taxon
- apples
Malus domesticae1 - Treatment
- ethyl formatee0
- Interactor
- eucalyptus weevile0pest
- Outcome
- eucalyptus weevile0
- Direction
- highly toxice0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Laboratory and cool storage trials show that ethyl formate is highly toxic to the eucalyptus weevil and low phytotoxic to the fruit.”
e1“on apples”
Claim · model-written summary
Ethyl formate had low phytotoxicity to apple fruit.
- Taxon
- applesMalus domesticae1
- Treatment
- ethyl formatee0
- Outcome
- phytotoxic to the fruite0
- Direction
- lowe0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Laboratory and cool storage trials show that ethyl formate is highly toxic to the eucalyptus weevil and low phytotoxic to the fruit.”
e1“on apples”
Claim · model-written summary
Apple colour and texture showed no change one to three weeks after ethyl formate treatment versus untreated apples.
- Taxon
- applesMalus domesticae0
- Treatment
- ethyl formatee1
- Outcome
- colour and texturee0
- Direction
- no changee0
- Qualifier
- 1, 2 and 3 weeks after treatmente0
- Comparator
- untreated applese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In comparison with untreated apples, the colour and texture have no change 1, 2 and 3 weeks after treatment.”
e1“ethyl formate was applied”
Claim · model-written summary
All eucalyptus weevils were killed in cool storage trials using ethyl formate at 50-55 g m-3.
- Taxon
- applesMalus domesticae1
- Treatment
- ethyl formate was applied at dosage of 50-55 g m-3e0
- Interactor
- eucalyptus weevilse0pest
- Outcome
- eucalyptus weevilse0
- Direction
- killede0
Not reportedComparatorSetting
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The ethyl formate was applied at dosage of 50-55 g m-3 and low temperature (4-8ºC) for 24 hours exposure. All eucalyptus weevils were killed”
e1“on apples”
Claim · model-written summary
Ethyl formate residues declined to natural levels after one day of aeration.
- Taxon
- applesMalus domesticae1
- Outcome
- residue of ethyl formatee0
- Direction
- declinede0
- Value
- 0.05-0.2 mg kg-1e0
- Qualifier
- after 1 day aeratione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“after 1 day aeration, residue of ethyl formate declined to natural levels (0.05-0.2 mg kg-1).”
e1“In comparison with untreated apples”
Claim · model-written summary
Phytotoxicity studies found no effect on apple morphology or taste.
- Taxon
- applesMalus domesticae0
- Treatment
- ethyl formatee1
- Outcome
- morphology or tastee0
- Direction
- no effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Phytotoxicity studies showed no effect on morphology or taste of apples.”
e1“ethyl formate was applied”