Skin damage of meyer lemon by fumigation with 1,2-dibromoethane (EDB)

Meyer lemons are susceptible to skin damage by EDB vapour. The damage can be caused by excessive vapour concentration during fumigation. Residual fumigant desorbed from fibreboard cartons containing the fruit is also of major importance in relation to damage where post-fumigation ventilation is restricted. The damage was minimised by a period of 4 h ventilation in the chamber after fumigation using the standard treatment of 18 g EDB/m³ for 2 h at 21°C.     

The effect of the fruit container on a commodity treatment of mangoes with 1,2-dibromoethane against the queensland fruit fly,Dacus tryoni (froggatt)

Fruit packed in fibreboard cartons required a higher dosage of 1,2-dibromoethane (EBD) for an effective commodity treatment than fruit packed in polystyrene trays. This was due to considerably greater sorption of EDB by fibreboard compared with polystyrene, as indicated by concentration-time products. However, compensating factors in the form of a lower sorption of EDB by the fruit itself when in fibreboard cartons, and a residual fumigant effect for fruit in such cartons, reduced the expected increase in dosage requirement. The required dosages of EDB for effective treatments were 20 g m^?3 in fibreboard cartons and 16 g m^?3 in polystyrene trays, for 2 h at 20°C.     

Fumigant activity of (E)-anethole identified in Illicium verum fruit against Blattella germanica

The insecticidal activities of materials derived from the fruit of star anise, Illicium verum, against adults of Blattella germanica were examined by direct contact application and fumigation methods, and compared with those of DDVP, deltamethrin and hydramethylnon. The biologically active constituent of the Illicium fruit was characterized as the phenylpropene, (E)-anethole, by spectroscopic analysis. In a filter paper diffusion test with females, (E)-anethole caused 80.3% mortality at 0.159 mg cm-2 at 1 and 3 days after treatment (DAT), whereas 16.7% mortality at 3 DAT was achieved at 0.079 mg cm-2. DDVP and deltamethrin gave > 90% mortality at 0.019 mg cm-2 at 1 DAT. At 0.009 mg cm-2, DDVP and deltamethrin showed 73.3 and 60% mortality at 1 DAT, respectively, but 93.3 and 76.7% mortality at 3 DAT. Hydramethylnon exhibited 0 and 93.3% mortality at 0.159 mg cm-2 at 1 and 3 DAT, respectively, whereas 6.7% mortality at 3 DAT was observed at 0.079 mg cm-2. In a fumigation test with females, (E)-anethole was much more effective in closed cups than in open ones, indicating that the insecticidal activity of the compound was largely attributable to fumigant action. (E)-Anethole and DDVP caused 100% mortality at 0.398 and 0.051 mg cm-2 4 and 1 h after treatment, respectively. (E)-Anethole showed 46.7% mortality at 0.199 mg cm-2 at 3 DAT, whereas deltamethrin and hydramethylnon at 0.796 mg cm-2 was ineffective for 3-day period. As naturally occurring insect-control agents, the I verum fruit-derived materials described could be useful for managing populations of B germanica.     

Permeation of soil fumigants through agricultural plastic films

Plastic films are used in soil fumigation to control fumigant emission into the atmosphere. In previous studies it was shown that the plastic films are permeable to fumigant vapors. Virtually impermeable films (VIF) have been developed to reduce such emission and to increase the efficacy of pest control. A rapid, accurate, sensitive and simple method to measure the permeability of plastic films to soil fumigants that was developed in the present study is described in this paper. The method uses a static, closed system in which the tested film is fixed between two cells. The fumigant is sampled by a solid-phase microextraction method and measured quantitatively by gas chromatography. The method was used to assess the permeability of two plastic films — a low-density polyethylene film (LDPE) and a VIF — to commercial soil fumigants formulated individually or in mixtures. All the tested fumigants permeated through the commonly used LDPE film, in the following descending order of permeability: methyl isothiocyanate (MITC), methyl bromide (MBr), 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D; Telone), chloropicrin (CP). The VIF was impermeable to all the tested fumigants except MITC, the permeation of which was reduced by 40%. The permeation of some fumigants through LDPE films was influenced by the formulation used. The permeation of CP was increased when it was combined with MBr in Bromopic. With Telopic, a mixture of 1,3-D and CP, the permeation of 1,3-D through LDPE film was 62% greater than that of Telone, whereas that of CP was not affected. The permeation rates of both MBr and CP were 25–30% greater when they were formulated as a mixture in Bromopic than when they were formulated individually. The formulation of fumigants as mixtures of two components did not affect their permeability through VIF. This study showed that differences in the suitability of plastic films for soil fumigation can be measured easily in a laboratory. It also showed that the VIP was more effective than LDPE in reducing losses of fumigant to the atmosphere, thus allowing more efficient use of fumigants to manage soilborne pests. The presented method helps us to choose the most adequate film for optimizing fumigation efficacy, and reducing costs and environmental risks. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Sept. 17, 2006.     

Residual free methyl bromide in fumigated commodities

The extent to which methyl bromide was retained by fumigated material after treatment was followed in laboratory studies on a range of commodities exposed to the vapour at atmospheric pressure. Amounts of methyl bromide, recovered by solvent extraction and determined using gas-liquid chromatography, were related to the temperature, moisture content and manner of post-treatment storage. Immediately after exposure, the initial amount of free methyl bromide present was more dependent on the gas concentration used than on the time of exposure. Under the experimental conditions of exposure, the residual free methyl bromide in all commodities fumigated at 25°, except cocoa beans and groundnuts, fell to below 1 ppm within a few days when they were held at that temperature, whether spread in thin layers on trays or kept sealed in glass bottles. At lower temperatures, the rate of loss was slower, small amounts of methyl bromide being extracted from several commodities one month after treatment. The disappearance of fumigant from wheat and sultanas was more rapid from samples with higher moisture contents. A mathematical treatment of the data is presented, to assist in prediction of the behaviour of residual fumigant under storage conditions before processing. It is concluded that the risk of ingestion of harmful quantities of free methyl bromide by the consumer is small and that the occasions when relatively high residues might occur can be predicted.     

New techniques in fumigation under development by DEGESCH1

The diminishing availability of fumigant compounds makes it essential to improve fumigation techniques if adequate pest control is to be maintained. Three approaches developed by DEGESCH are discussed. Phosphine fumigation is now possible in cold weather if magnesium phosphide rather than aluminium phosphide is used as the source. Gas recirculation (the J-system) provides for much more rapid fumigation in large grain silos. Finally, techniques are being developed to allow material to be added to, or removed from, a store during fumigation without hazard to the applicator.     

Comparisons of simulated with measured transport and transformation of methyl bromide gas in soils

A simulation model is described for the transport of the fumigant, methyl bromide gas, away from injection chisels within the field. The injected methyl bromide is assumed to form cylindrical, parallel sources at the depth of injection. Transport of the methyl bromide is described by radial diffusion from the injection cylinders. The dissolution-distillation of methyl bromide gas in the soil water and on soil particles is accounted for by a first-order reversible kinetic equation or by an equilibrium relationship. The hydrolysis of methyl bromide gas to bromide anion is considered to occur according to a first-order irreversible equation. The model considers cases where the soil surface is and is not covered with an impermeable barrier to the diffusion of the gas. Simulated methyl bromide concentrations in the soil air, and bromide concentrations in the soil, compared reasonably well with measured values from several field sites. Comparison of the results of calculations, with and without plastic barriers at the soil surface, with experimental data, indicate that plastic barriers are ineffective in preventing diffusion of gas from the soil to the atmosphere. Calculations of mass balances show that as much as 70% of the applied methyl bromide had escaped to the atmosphere by 14 days after fumigation.     

1,3-dichloropropene distribution in soil when applied by drip irrigation or injection in pineapple culture

The fumigant nematicide, 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D VL; ‘Telone’ II) and a soluble liquid formulation, 1,3-D SL were tested in a pineapple field experiment to evaluate the vapor movement of the two formulations in soil gas as well as the movement and persistence of 1,3-D SL in soil profiles. Prior to planting, 1,3-D VL (407 kg ha^?1) was hand-injected into the soil in two parallel rows per planting bed to approximate the practice of chisel injection. 1,3-D SL (407 kg ha^?1) was applied with 6 mm of water by drip irrigation through a drip tube in the center of the bed. Post-plant applications of 1,3-D SL (113 kg ha^?1) were made at three-month intervals during a two-crop cycle. 1,3-D concentrations in soil gas were lower at the plant line in the drip treatment compared with the 1,3-D VL treatment, owing to differences in application method and fumigant placement. 1,3-D in the vapor phase reached peak concentrations 24 h after injection in the 1,3-D VL treatment compared with a peak at 48 h in the drip treatment. Post-plant applications of 1,3-D SL resulted in a three-fold difference in peak 1,3-D soil gas concentrations between replicate applications, the concentration being inversely related to soil moisture at the time of sampling. Drip application of 1,3-D SL resulted in a relatively uniform distribution of 1,3-D across the bed and to a depth of 45 cm. There was no effect of formulation on downward movement of 1,3-D and persistence in soil profiles sampled two weeks and one month after application. Rainfall which occurred 9 days after pre-plant 1,3-D fumigation resulted in leaching of 1,3-D to a depth of 150 cm in soil profiles. Due to the short half-life of 1,3-D, significant penetration of 1,3-D in the soil was observed only when irrigation or rainfall occurred soon after application.     

Effect of soil physical factors on methyl iodide and methyl bromide

Production and importation of methyl bromide is scheduled to be banned by 2001. Methyl iodide was evaluated as a possible replacement soil fumigant. The effects of soil moisture, temperature, soil texture and fumigation time on the efficacy of methyl iodide for the control of two common weeds, Abutilon theophrasti and Lolium multiflorum, were characterized and compared with those of methyl bromide. The optimal soil moisture for methyl iodide to kill both weed species in sandy soils was 14% water content (w/w). Greater efficacy was obtained when the temperature during fumigation was above 20°C. Compared to methyl bromide, the efficacy of methyl iodide was more consistent in different soils. Time to 100% mortality of weeds was 24 h for methyl iodide fumigation and 36 h for methyl bromide when 200 μM of fumigant was used. On a molar basis methyl iodide was consistently more effective than methyl bromide across the range of environmental factors tested. In terms of application technology and spectrum of activity, methyl bromide can be directly replaced by methyl iodide. © 1998 SCI     

溴甲烷、环氧乙烷真空熏蒸杀虫灭菌技术研究

真空情况下,利用溴甲烷、环氧乙烷杀虫、灭菌是一种安全、快速、有效的技术措施。为了使此技术广泛应用到农林种子、苗木、卫生防疫以及文史资料诸方面杀虫灭菌,试制成功一台容积工立方米的PCV-1000程序控制真空熏蒸机,并进一步进行溴甲烷、环氧乙烷杀虫灭菌效果及其熏蒸后残余毒气处理方法的研究。溴甲烷75—90克/立方米处理2小时,环氧乙烷90—120克/立方米处理3小时,可杀死各种形式的包装内的谷斑皮蠹和花斑皮蠹幼虫,赤拟谷盗和锈扁谷盗成虫以及玉米象和绿豆象各虫态等害虫。环氧乙烷灭菌能力较强,对动物炭疽菌、4001芽孢杆菌500克/立方米处理5小时或300克/立方米处理12小时,灭菌效果100%。溴甲烷和环氧乙烷混合使用对棉花枯萎病菌效果良好,对棉籽发芽率影响不大。熏蒸后残余毒气处理,用5%氢氧化钠酒精液吸收溴甲烷,破坏率可达96%以上。环氧乙烷用自来水淋洗法,水合分解率可达98%以上。     

Modelling the kinetics of ethyl formate sorption by wheat using batch experiments

BACKGROUND: Ethyl formate formulations are being considered to replace methyl bromide for fast grain disinfestation. Grain adsorbs ethyl formate rapidly, which can result in inadequate fumigation concentrations and unacceptable grain residues. A model of ethyl formate sorption kinetics will enable fumigation approaches to be determined that meet disinfestation and food safety requirements. RESULTS: This paper identifies all mass transport processes involved in ethyl formate sorption by wheat from published and experimental evidence. The model accounts for reaction losses of ethyl formate in air and grain using first‐order kinetics, transport in the gas and solid phases with linear mass transfer coefficients and uses a linear partition relationship representation of sorption equilibrium. Batch experimental data were measured to determine model coefficients. Novel gaseous breakdown data for ethyl formate in air were measured, and first‐order kinetics was demonstrated, although the specific reactions involved were not identified. CONCLUSION: The model predicts air and grain fumigant concentrations relevant for grain disinfestation and food residue contamination successfully. The form of the model should be applicable to all fumigant–grain systems, as it accounts for the diffusion and reaction influences known to occur with all modern fumigants under concentration and exposure conditions relevant to industry. Copyright © 2009 CSIRO, Australia. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

纯磷化氢熏蒸对桃小食心虫的毒力作用

桃小食心虫在我国温带水果主产区广泛分布,严重威胁水果出口贸易。为明确纯磷化氢熏蒸处理桃小食心虫的可能性,本文系统研究了纯磷化氢在不同温度条件下对桃小食心虫的毒力。耐受性分析结果表明,桃小食心虫各虫态对磷化氢的耐受力有很大差别,1~2龄幼虫耐受性最弱,5龄老熟幼虫耐受性最强。室内毒力试验结果表明,25℃,0.14~0.70mg/L磷化氢熏蒸5龄老熟幼虫81~199h或15℃,0.28~0.84 mg/L磷化氢熏蒸136~166h,桃小食心虫死亡率可达99%;在25℃和15℃下,试虫达到一定死亡率的气体浓度、时间乘积(CT)关系式分别为k=C0.5 T和k=C0.2 T,说明在本试验所取浓度范围内,处理时间是影响磷化氢对桃小食心虫老熟幼虫毒力作用的主要因素,相同条件下高温比低温更有利于磷化氢熏蒸杀虫。本文首次对不同温度条件下纯磷化氢熏蒸桃小食心虫的毒力作用进行了系统研究,明确了纯磷化氢熏蒸技术在水果携带桃小食心虫的检疫处理中极具应用前景。     

A kinetic model of fumigant sorption by grain using batch experimental data

BACKGROUND: Most fumigants are adsorbed by grain at differing rates depending on the fumigant or grain type. Sorption can reduce the concentrations of fumigation doses to sublethal levels before grain has been disinfested. A model to predict fumigant losses due to sorption in industrial scenarios is needed. RESULTS: This work reviews the kinetics of grain fumigant sorption and develops a new alternative model based upon key factors established from the literature and batch experimental results. The novel model accounts for linear mass transfer within the grain, irreversible 'binding' and linear partitioning of the fumigant to the grain. Model coefficients were estimated by minimizing the sum of squared residuals between model predictions and experimental data. The model was compared with other options including diffusion into spheres, and results for methyl bromide and phosphine are provided. CONCLUSION: The model describes the transient changes of fumigant concentrations in both the intergranular air and grain. It provides the capacity to predict fumigant concentrations throughout grain stacks for a wide range of scenarios of industrial importance.     

气相色谱法测定蔬菜水果中的氯化苦残留

氯化苦土壤熏蒸是防治土传病害的有效措施。采用石油醚对蔬菜、水果样品进行超声波提取,以气相色谱电子捕获检测器测定氯化苦残留。结果表明,在浓度为0.008 ~2 mg/L范围内,线性相关系数r=0.999 4。氯化苦的添加浓度在0.02 ~1 mg/kg范围内,平均回收率为92.2% ~111%,相对标准偏差(RSD)为1.9% ~7.2%,均在农药残留测定允许范围内。该方法的最小检出量(LOD)为0.008 mg/kg,最低检测浓度(LOQ)为0.02 mg/kg。采用本方法对土壤熏蒸处理施用氯化苦后(PHI≥50 d)的甜瓜、草莓、大姜、茄子、菠菜收获期样品进行测定,均未检出氯化苦残留。     

Determination of carbon tetrachloride in fumigated cereal grains during storage

Alternative methods for the extraction of unchanged carbon tetrachloride residues from fumigated whole and ground wheat and maize were examined and compared. Amounts of carbon tetrachloride extracted were determined by gas-liquid chromatography using two separate columns and an electron-capture detector. A portion of any carbon tetrachloride residue was found to be converted to chloroform by a steam distillation extraction method but not when a cold solvent extraction process was used. In addition, the effectiveness of removal of carbon tetrachloride from wheat and maize during a 3.5 h steam distillation was progressively lessened, in comparison with the cold extraction process, as the length of time that residual fumigant had been associated with the grain increased. The rate of elimination of carbon tetrachloride from wheat and maize during airing at two temperatures was determined and though partially dependent on the temperature of fumigation, airing was consistently more rapid at 25° than at 10°C. Initial residues of 200 to 400 parts/million in whole grains fell to 1 to 10 parts/million when aired for six months in thin layers at 25°C and to 5 to 50 parts/million at WC. Residues in wheat disappeared more rapidly than those in maize. Grinding initially caused a sharp reduction in carbon tetrachloride content but subsequent airing rates were little faster than those of the whole grains. It is concluded that complete elimination of trace amounts of carbon tetrachloride from products of treated grain is unlikely even after milling but the toxicological significance of such residues is uncertain.     

Soil solarization as a substitute for methyl bromide fumigation in greenhouse tomato production in Cyprus

Preplant soil fumigation with methyl bromide (MB) is presently standard practice in greenhouse tomato production. Since this compound is scheduled to be phased out by 2005, the possibility of using solarization as an alternative soil disinfestation method was examined in four greenhouse tomato trials. Solarization was applied for 8 weeks in July-August, using transparent polyethylene sheets for soil mulching, and compared with MB fumigation applied in September, before planting, at 80 g/m². Solarization raised the maximum soil temperature by 9°C and reduced the population density ofFusarium spp. in soil by 91–98%. Similar reductions of soil inoculum (95–99%) were obtained with MB fumigation. Both methods provided effective control of Fusarium wilt, Verticillium wilt and corky root rot on tomato plants. MB fumigation was in addition highly effective against root-knot nematodes, whereas nematode control with solarization did not exceed 50%. Both treatments resulted in similar fruit yield increases, ranging within 90–140% compared with plants grown in untreated soil. During the second cropping season following soil treatment, solarization exhibited two times higher residual effectiveness against vascular wilt diseases compared with MB fumigation. The latter treatment, however, was superior to solarization in its residual effectiveness against root-knot nematodes and to a lesser extent against corky root rot. Fruit yields from solarized and MB-fumigated soil during the second cropping season were higher than those obtained from untreated soil by approximately 35% and 60%, respectively. In Cyprus, solarization appears to be an effective alternative to MB fumigation in greenhouse tomato production, especially if integrated with other approaches enabling more effective nematode control.     

Ethyl formate,formic acid and ethanol in air,wheat, barley and sultanas: analysis of natural levels and fumigant residues

Ethyl formate and ethanol in air, eg in fumigant studies, were readily detected by gas chromatography (GC) (flame ionisation). Residues in wheat, barley and sultanas were analysed by GC, after extraction in polar solvents (eg methanol, aqueous propanol). Both natural levels and levels resulting from fumigation with ethyl formate were measured. Formic acid was extracted from commodities with polar solvents (eg methanol, water) and analysed by GC after esterification. Solvent extracts of commodities were concentrated after addition of disodium hydrogen orthophosphate, and an aliquot added to acidified alcohols (several combinations of acids and alcohols were tested) in a sealed container. Formic acid esters were determined by GC, from headspace sampling over the esterification solvent. Esterification was faster with strong acids than with boric acid. However, esterification with boric acid/butanol gave the least interference of all tested methods. Product identity was confirmed by GC/mass spectrometry. High natural levels of formic acid, and low natural levels of ethyl formate and ethanol, presented problems in identifying residues arising from fumigation. These natural levels are relevant to food regulations for ethyl formate, especially those based on ‘total formic acid, free and combined’. Polar columns (eg FFAP, carbowax) were useful for measurement of formic acid esters, which eluted before the alcohols used for esterification or extraction, whereas elution followed the molecular mass on non-polar columns, such as GS-Q or DB-624. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Insecticidal properties of monoterpenoid derivatives to the house fly (diptera: Muscidae) and red flour beetle (coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Monoterpenoid derivatives were synthesized and their insecticidal activities were evaluated against red flour beetles, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), in fumigant bioassays and against house flies Musca domestica (L.) in topical, fumigant, and ovicidal bioassays. Acetate derivatives and haloacetate derivatives were compared with each other, and with the parent monoterpenoid to determine structure-activity relationships. Acetate derivatives were more active than the propionate derivatives of cyclic monoterpenoids in the topical, fumigant, and ovicidal bioassays. Pivalates were topically more insecticidal than acetates to adult house flies, while the acetates had the greater ovicidal activity. Acetates and pivalates were more effective than haloacetates in the topical, red flour beetle fumigation and ovicidal bioassays. Fluoroacetates of cyclic monoterpenoids were the most effective house fly fumigants, followed by acetates, and trichloroacetates. Several derivatives were produced that displayed enhanced activity relative to the parent alcohols or phenols.     

Chemical alternatives to methyl bromide for the control of root-knot nematodes in greenhouses

The complete phase-out of methyl bromide from use in developed countries by 1 January 2005 will cause many problems in agricultural industries that are now heavily reliant on its use. Three field experiments were established to compare management tactics on tomato and cucumber in commercial greenhouses naturally infested with root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp). Reduction of nematode juveniles in soil and roots to nil detection levels was observed in all plots following soil fumigation with methyl bromide. A significant reduction of nematode juveniles and root-galling index was observed in plots treated with metham-sodium, dazomet and 1,3-dichloropropene compared with the control and plots treated with non-fumigant nematicides. Reduction of the nematode population led to an increase in fruit yield. However, data collected from the second cultivation season indicated that single control methods such as fumigant or contact nematicides alone cannot drastically decrease initial nematode population and those nematodes which escape control lead to population increase by the end of the cropping season.