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News May 3, 2023

Recommended research on Australian pests of quarantine concern

In an article published on 27 March 2023 (reference below), Humayra Akter et al. report a litterature review and make recommendations on research for Australian pests of quarantine concern for which irradiation could be used as a phytosanitary treatment.

To protect and grow export markets for Australian horticulture commodities, the authors recommend that research be conducted for specific pests where no minimum absorbed dose and efficacy data are available.
Based on their literature review, their recommendations for further research are as follows:
  • Develop phytosanitary irradiation minimum absorbed dose and efficacy data for vineyard snails.
  • Develop phytosanitary irradiation minimum absorbed dose and efficacy data for leaf miners (particularly Serpentine leaf miners).
  • Develop phytosanitary dose and efficacy data for Fuller’s rose weevil.

In addition the authors consider that there would be merit in conducting further research to refine (lower) the minimum absorbed dose for specific pests and priority commodities where irradiation has an impact on quality. A reduction in dose would not only benefit product quality but would also reduce both treatment time and cost.

Reference:

An Overview of Phytosanitary Irradiation Requirements for Australian Pests of Quarantine Concern

by Humayra Akter, Nancy Cunningham, Polychronis Rempoulakis, Martin Blumi

Agriculture 2023, 13(4), 771; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13040771