The tolerance of tomato potato psyllid life stages to ethyl formate

Abstract

Methyl bromide fumigation became mandatory for capsicums and truss tomatoes exported to Australia after tomato potato psyllid (TPP) was detected in 2006 in New Zealand Methyl bromide detrimentally affects product quality by increasing rots and the browning of the green stems An alternative being tested is ethyl formate (EF) and carbon dioxide commercially available as VAPORMATEreg; This study examined the tolerances of different life stages of TPP to EF Eggs were considerably more tolerant of EF than adults and nymphs Complete elimination of egg hatch was achieved after a 1h exposure to 119 EF In contrast all nymphs and adults were killed after a 1h exposure to 012 and 006 EF respectively Assessment of egg mortality was altered to better reflect the posthatch treatment effects on nymph survival In a subsequent egg age tolerance trial mean lethal concentrations for 99 mortality ranged from ca 1 EF for young and older eggs to ca 15 EF for midaged eggs