Methyl bromide(MB) is a fumigant for quarantine and pre-shipment(QPS) that can eradicate target pests within short fumigation periods. However, MB, an ozone-depleting substance, is scheduled to be phased out in the second decade of this century. In contrast to MB alternatives for soil fumigation, there is no ideal alternative fumigant to MB for QPS of perishable commodities. It is important that all target insect pests are killed within a short fumigation time. The citrus mealybug(Planococcuscitri), a problematicquarantine pest from Korea, was exposed to ethyl formate and phosphine for different times and to different concentrations of EF(0.0∼33.4 mg/L) and PH3(0.25∼1.0 mg/L) in small desiccators. The eggs showed more tolerance than the nymphs and adults. To control the eggs, they were treated with a mixture of EF and PH3 for 2 and 4-hr. The egg stage showed 100% mortality with EF:PH3(25.1:0.25, 16.7:0.5, and 16.7:1.0 mg/L) at 4-hr. Treatment with a mixture of EF and PH3 for 4-hr at 8°C can control all stages of the citrus mealybug.

This study was done to evaluate the efficacy of Vapormate (ethyl formate 16.7 % + CO2) as an methyl bromide-alternative fumigant. Some insect pests and mites were found under calyx of sweet persimmon fruits, including grape-myrtle scale, two-spotted spider mite, Amblyseius eharai. Vapormate fumigation was equally toxic to miticide- susceptible and -resistant T. urticae showing 100 % mortality at higher concentration than 146.7 and 211.0 mg/L, respectively. In persimmon-filled desiccator, summer and overwintering types of T. urticae showed 100 % mortality at higher concentration than 163.7 and 265.8 mg/L, respectively. Sweet persimmon damage from vapormate fumigation was not shown by the days after treatment. Tolerance of each live stage of grape-myrtle scale was in descending order: egg < nymph < adult. EF 141.5 mg h L-1 for 6 h at 5 ℃ killed 100 % of the larvae of D. punctiferalis. The final scaled-up fumigation confirmed the efficacy of EF to target pests and non-phytotoxicity on persimmons. In conclusion, EF may become a MB alternative fumigant for sweet persimmon, and the LC99 values of EF may be used to practical applications to all kinds of insects and mites on harvested sweet persimmon.

Aphids are common pests frequently found in imported and exported fruits and vegetables. Methyl bromide(MB), a Quarantine and Pre Shipment(QPS) fumigant, could offer eradication of aphids within short period. However, MB is limited in use because of poor gas evaporation at low temperature(<5℃) and there is phytotoxic effect or damage on quality in post-harvest vegetables and fruits even at >5℃. Two candidates of MB alternative, ethyl formate(EF) and phosphine(PH3), are used and being investig at edonvarious fruits and vegetables fumigation to replace MB. Aphids are known as quarantine pest that are hard to control when conduct short period fumigation with PH3 and low dosage of EF. In this paper, dose response assessment of EF and PH3 are presented for three different aphid pecies : cotton aphid(Aphisgossypii), green peach aphid(Myzuspersicae) and turnip aphid (Lipaphiserysimi). The LCt99% values of EF at room temp. and low temp. (5℃) were 4.42 and 4.45 g·h·m-3 for cotton aphid, 3.23 and 5.58 g·h·m-3 for turnip aphid, 3.23 and 5.58 g·h·m-3 for green peach aphid when 2-hours fumigation. PH3 showed 0% efficacy on all species when 2-hours fumigation.

Methyl bromide (MB), as a fumigant for Quarantine and Pre-Shipment(QPS) could offer eradication of target pests within shorter fumigation period and without phytotoxicity. Therefore, unlike MB alternatives for soil fumigation, there is no ideally MB alternative fumigant for QPS purpose, particularly for perishable commodities. It is critically important that within shorter fumigation time requires killing all target insect pests and without effect of quality and deliver treated fruit and vegetables to the final consumer. The citrus mealybug(Planococcuscitri), problem quarantine pest, was tested with different exposure times(2 and 4-hours) and concentrations(EF(0-200 g/m3) and PH3(10-50 g/m3)) in small desiccators for mixture tests. On sensitivity test with small desiccator, the egg stage showed 100% mortality with 200/25(EF/PH3) g/m3 and the nymph and adult stage showed 100% mortality with 10/10(EF/PH3) g/m3 on 2h. Also, the egg stage showed 100% mortality with 150/25(EF/PH3) g/m3on 4h.

The fumigant activity of phosphine (PH3) and ethyl formate (EF) was determined to all stage of Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) under high oxygen concentration (50% and 80%). Oxygenated PH3 and EF were tested at two different temperatures (20°C and 4°C) during 7 days. Two oxygenated fumigants were treated with LC10, 30 and 50 values of single fumigant against each stage of P. operculella. At 10% inhibition of hatchability concentration value, inhibition of hatchability of P. operculella eggs was shown 20.3% and 9.2% with 50% and 80% oxygenated PH3 at 20°C at 1 day after treatment, respectively. The fumigant activity of oxygenated PH3 was increased at all stage of P. operculella except eggs both 20°C and 4°C. However, oxygenated EF was determined low fumigant efficacy to hatchability of eggs and emergence rate of pupae. The insecticidal activities of P. operculella larvae and adults were slightly increased mortality rather than single EF. In this result suggests that oxygenated phosphine is effective method for managing P. operculella. But, oxygenated EF is not effective.

The potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller), is considered one of the main causes of potato losses during harvesting and storage. The pest occur throughout the year and its larvae damage the leaves, twigs and tubers. In this study, we have investigated the effects of ethyl formate (EF) and phosphine (PH3) against P. operculella. Fumigation to all stage of P. operculella was carried in a desiccator system at 5℃ and 20℃ for 24 h. As a result, LC99 of PH3 to all stage of P. operculella was showed 1.953 mg L-1 (eggs), 0.100 mg L-1 (larvae), 4.884 mg L-1 (pupae) and 0.240 mg L-1 (adults) at 20℃, respectively. LC99 of EF to all stage of P. operculella was observed 19.808 mg L-1 (eggs), 6.783 mg L-1 (larvae), 141.476 mg L-1 (pupae) and 3.223 mg L-1 (adults), at 20℃ respectively. Larvae and adults showed the highest susceptibility to PH3 and EF at 20℃. LC99 of PH3 to all stage of P. operculella was showed > 1.5 mg L-1 (eggs), 0.187 mg L-1 (larvae), > 1.5 mg L-1 (pupae) and 0.386 mg L-1 (adults) at 5℃ , respectively. LC99 of EF to all stage of P. operculella was showed 27.479 mg L-1 (eggs), 9.580 mg L-1 (larvae), 55.759 mg L-1 (pupae) and 3.084 mg L-1 (adults) at 5℃, respectively. These results indicated that the fumigant efficiency of PH3 and EF is more effective with treated in room temperatures against termites.

Withthe increasing trend of global trades and protection of agro-ecosystem in importing and exporting countries against quarantine pest, quarantine and pre-shipment(QPS) fumigation in perishable commodities is now more important to maintain postharvest quality until delivering to end user not just eradiation of quarantine pest. However, there are limited use of MB fumigation on export fruits and vegetables due to phytotoxic damages of fumigated one. VapormateTM, alternative to methyl bromide(MB), a gas formulation of ethyl formate(EF) with carbon dioxide, is commercially in use for imported fruits fumigation such as bananas and lemon. Herein, based on previous preliminary studies, scale-up and commercial scale fumigation of ethyl formate is presented for promising export paprika and tomato. Efficacy of ethyl formate was described in terms of concentration × time (CT) products to Myzus persicae for paprika and Bemisia tabaci for tomato.

For replacement of methyl bromide(MB) in Korea, VapormateTM, a gas formulation of ethyl formate(EF) with carbon dioxide, are firslty introduced in import bananas and VivakilTM, a gas formulation of phosphine(PH3) with carbon dioxide, are ready to commercial use in export cut flowers. Their applications are being extended for other import and export commodities. Ethyl formate have been shown to have effectiveness short exposure time(<4hr) but it has a limited application at low temperature for TSM(Two spotted spider mites) due to some phytotoxic to strawberry. Phosphine gas has demonstrated their efficacy to TSM at low temperature but only meets quarantine requirement when applying longer fumigation time(>24hr) to control CA(cotton aphids). We firstly evaluated two MB alternatives, EF and PH3, have enhansive effect within short exposure time(4hr) at low temperature(5℃) for controlling both TSM and CA without any injury to export strawberries.

Methyl bromide (MB)는 대상범위가 넓고 속효성을 가지고 있어 세계적으로 널 리 사용되어 왔으나 오존층 파괴물질로 등록이 되어 대체 훈증제 개발이 시급한 상황이다. MB 대체 훈증제로 ethyl formate와 Eco2fume (PH3 2% + CO2 98%, PH3)의 월동형 점박이응애에 대한 살충효과와 단감에 대한 약해를 조사하였다. 월 동형 점박이응애는 경남 거창군의 사과 과수원에서 채집하였다. 훈증농도는 EF는 5.8~34.2 mg/L, PH3는 0.1~1.5 mg/L이었으며 훈증시간은 EF는 6 시간, PH3는 24 시간으로 두 약제 모두 5±1 ℃에서 처리하였다. EF의 경우 LD50과 LD99값은 각각 66.3, 148 mg h/L 이었다. PH3 경우 LD50과 LD99값은 각각 6.5, 57.8 mg h/L이었 다. 100% 사충률을 얻기기 위해서 EF는 148 mg h/L 이상, PH3는 57.8 mg h/L 이 상의 CT값이 필요하였다. EF와 PH3 훈증으로 인한 단감의 약해(경도, 당도, 부패 율 등)는 없었다.

Vapormate™, a new gas formulation of ethyl formate (EF) with carbon dioxide, is an alternative fumigant to methyl bromide (MB). The efficacy of the vapormate fumigation was evaluated on an acaricide susceptible and resistant Tetranychus urticae strains. A resistant strain showed resistance ratio (RR) of 21.9 and 379.6 to acrinathrin and chlorfenapyr, respectively. Fumigation was done in desiccators (6.8 L) which were empty or filled 30% in space with paprika for 6 h at 15℃ in the laboratory. The concentration adopted were 9.6, 17.2, 24.5, 36.4 mg/L in empty desiccator and 10.2, 17.9, 24.9, 35.2 mg/L in paprika-filled desiccator. In empty desiccator, susceptible and resistance T. urticae showed 100% mortality at higher concentration than 17.2 and 24.5 mg/L, respectively. In paprika-filled desiccator, susceptible and resistance T. urticae showed 100% mortality at higher concentration than 24.9 and 35.2 mg/L, respectively. Hatchability was greatly reduced by the fumigation. Hatchability was 3.7% in the empty desiccator at 9.6 mg/L and 37.2% in the paprika-filled desiccator at 10.2 mg/L.