Hot Water Immersion Unit for Disinfestation of Hawaii-Grown Lychee and Longan

1999 Annual Report for FW99-056

Project Type: Farmer/Rancher
Funds awarded in 1999: $5,000.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2001
Region: Western
State: Hawaii
Principal Investigator:

Hot Water Immersion Unit for Disinfestation of Hawaii-Grown Lychee and Longan

Summary

A hot water immersion system will be built for quarantine treatment of lychee and longan. This technique will be used as an alternative to the current, and more expensive, practice of irradiation for treating infestation of Mediterranean fruit fly, oriental fruit fly and litchi fruit moth. A hot water dip of 49 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes is an accepted treatment for these pests that will allow the fruit to be marketed on the U.S. mainland.