Quarantine Treatment of cuttings infested by Frankliniella occidentalis
In order to exclude Franklinella occidentalis (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) from infested planting material experiments have been carried out in the UK to control the pest by a fumigation treatment with methyl bromide. All life stages of Western flower thrips were assessed in respect to their susceptibility to methyl bromide and it was found that the thrips can be successfully controlled with a standard fumigation of 4 h achieving a concentration time product of 54 mg l-1 h, the same treatment which is used to exclude Liriomyza trifolii (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) and Spodoptera littoralis (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) from chrysanthemum cuttings. Possible phytotoxic effects of the fumigation treatment on thrips infested cuttings were, however, not included in this investigation.
Sources
Mcdonald, O.C. ;(1993) Susceptibility of western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis to fumigation with methyl bromide.
Annals of applied Biology 123, 531-537.