Organic Quarantine Treatments for Tree Fruits

Abstract

Organic production of pome and stone fruits in the United States has greatly increased during the past few years. To compete and enter lucrative export markets, these fruit must meet stringent quarantine requirements. For some countries, these requirements dictate that the fruit crops must be treated with a synthetic chemical fumigant, which is not compliant with organic standards. Therefore, nonchemical quarantine treatments for organically produced pome and stone fruits have been developed using the Controlled Atmosphere/Temperature Treatment System (or CATTS) technology. This technology applies a short-term heat treatment under a low-O2/high-CO2 environment, and is effective in controlling the most prominent quarantine insect pests while maintaining commodity quality. The technology has progressed beyond laboratory-scale research units to 1- to 2-ton commercial units. The development of these treatments and their effect on both insect mortality and commodity quality are discussed.