Quarantine treatment of curry leaves (Murraya koenigii) infested by Diaphorina citri
Experiments have been conducted in the USA to evaluate the effects of hot water treatments, alone or in combination with a disinfectant, on the survival and removal (detachment from the leaves) of Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae – EPPO A1 List) nymphs on leaves of Murraya koenigii (=Bergera koenigii). Decontamination of infested curry leaves was studied at different water temperatures (0, 40, and 50°C) and treatment duration (0, 5, 10, and 20 min), with or without the addition of a disinfectant. 100% mortality of D. citri nymphs, with a minimal level of damage to curry leaf tissue, was obtained with a hot water treatment at 40°C for 5 min, including a disinfectant. It is concluded that such a treatment could be envisaged as a postharvest quarantine treatment of curry leaves.
Sources
Anco DJ, Poole GH, Gottwald TR (2015) Postharvest quarantine treatments for Diaphorina citri on infested curry leaves. Phytopathology 99(7), 926-932.