DEVELOPMENT OF A HIGH TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE QUARANTINE TREATMENT FOR POME AND STONE FRUITS

The research presented describes how a technology called Controlled Atmosphere Temperature Treatment System (CATTS), can be used as a quarantine treatment against insect pests of apples, pears and sweet cherries. High temperature forced air has not been useful for these temperate fruit because the heat dose required to kill the target insect pests (codling moth and western cherry fruit fly) caused unacceptable damage to fruit market quality. Heating a commodity in a controlled atmosphere was shown to reduce the heat dose required for controlling the insect pest without damaging fruit quality