Hot-water treatments for control of Planococcus ficus (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) on dormant grape cuttings.
Hot-water immersions were tested for control of mealybug Planococcus ficus (Signoret), on dormant grape cuttings used for nursery stock. A range of hot-water temperatures (47-58 degrees C) were evaluated at immersion periods of 2, 5, 10, or 20 min, by using a total of 353,720 mealybugs across all treatments. A 5-min immersion at 51 degrees C is effective in killing > 99% of P. ficus. At or above this immersion period and temperature, there was no difference in mealybug stage mortality. We evaluated a commercial operation, which used a 5-min immersion in each of three water tanks: preheating (30.0 +/- 3 degrees C), hot-water (52.8 +/- 0.3 degrees C), and cooling (23 +/- 3 degrees C). The commercial procedure provided 99.8-100% mealybug control in each of three separate trials.
Haviland
David R
DR
University of California Cooperative Extension, Kern County, Bakersfield, CA 93307, USA.
Bentley
Walter J
WJ
Daane
Kent M
KM
D000818:Animals; D006430:Hemiptera / Q000502:physiology*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007300:Insect Control / Q000379:methods*; D027843:Vitis / Q000469:parasitology*; D014867:Water
D014867:Water