Phosphine is a common pesticide used to control grain pests in Rice Processing Complex(RPC). However, increasing use of aluminum phosphide caused the occurrence of phosphine resistance pests. In this study, phosphine resistance pests collected at RPC in 2023 was investigated with FAO No. 16 test, Dihydrolipomaide dehydrogenase(DLD) test and amino acid mutation analysis to identify the occurrence of phosphine resistance in Korea. Tested pests were collected in the 7 province 35 region. As a result of the FAO test of 21 regions, all sample were phosphine sensitives. In DLD test and amino acid analysis, 7 region samples were weak resistances. It is required to inspect the RPC and other grain storage continuously to inhibit the widespread of resistant pest.

Fumigation of fruits and vegetables during quarantine and pre-shipment (QPS) treatment should be effective with a shorter fumigation time to minimize phytotoxicity. In this research study, a shorter fumigation time, 2 hours exposure which is shorter than that of the current commercial fumigation procedures using a lower dose of ethyl formate (EF) mixed with phosphine (PH3) on strawberry was investigated. The reciprocal effect between EF and PH3 against nymphs and adult Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and Tetranychus urticae (Koch) was evaluated. In addition, L(Ct)50 and L(Ct)99 of EF only and EF mixed with PH3 were analyzed at 5°C and 20°C. The synergistic ratio (SR) of L(Ct)50 and L(Ct)99 for the nymph and adult stages of M. persicae were >1.0, which indicated a synergistic effect between EF and PH3. However, the SR values of L(Ct)50 and L(Ct)99 of the nymph and adult stages of T. urticae were ≤1.0 indicating that there was no synergistic effect between the two fumigants against T. urticae. Our results showed that the reciprocal effect between EF and PH3 has different effects on M. persicae and T. urticae. This could be attributed to the biological and physical differences between the class Arachnida and Insecta. The synergistic effect between EF and PH3 against M. persicae within a shorter exposure period and without phytotoxicity on fruits and vegetables will significantly benefit the horticultural industry.

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae), is an important quarantine insect pest on blueberry and strawberry exportation in Korea. Due to IPPC recommendations of replacement of methyl bromide (MB) and recent critical issue about its chronic inhalation toxicity to fumigator and related workers along with post-fumigation, alternatives to MB is urgently required. Thus, we evaluated efficacies of ethyl formate (EF) to SWD eggs using two different bioassay methods; using eggs oviposited on artificial diet and on blueberries naturally infested with SWD adults. In results, there was no differences between two bioassay methods in terms of LCT99 value of EF.

Methyl bromide (MB) has been still routinely used in quarantine fumigation on imported citrus, although there had been issuing chronic inhalation toxicity to fumigators and related workers as well as phytotoxic damages after fumigation. Ethyl formate (EF), is the only option to replace MB in terms of its safety for consumers (food additive and naturally occurred) and worker with higher threshold level limit (TLV = 100 ppm). Its application technology also provide cost effectiveness, good commercial practice in terms of application time (< 10 min) for 40 ft container. The replacement of MB with EF is recommended not to fumigate with hazardous and phasing-out MB on imported oranges.

알락하늘소(Anoplophora chinensis)와 유리알락하늘소(A. glabripennis)는 전 세계적으로 검역상 중요한 하늘소과 해충이다. 우리나라에서 이들은 자연 기주목과 분재에서 피해를 주고 있다. 본 연구에서는 분재에서 phosphine의 이들 두 하늘소에 대한 방제효과를 조사하였다. Phosphine은 솔수염하늘소 유충과 알에 대해 높은 훈증효과를 보였다. 2 g/m3 농도의 phosphine을 24시간 훈증처리 시 유리알락하늘소와 알락하늘소 난은 부화하지 못하였고, 알락하늘소 유충은 동일농도에 168시간 훈증처리 시 100% 치사되었다. 분재 생육기(2월)나 휴면기(1월) 모두에서 phosphine 훈증제는 2 g/m3 농도에서 두 알락하늘소를 100% 치사시켰다. 그러나 2월에 각 분재목[단풍나무(Acer palmatum)와 소사나무(Carpinus turczaninowii), 아그배나무(Malus sieboldii)]을 대상으로 훈증처리 시, 세 수종 모두에서 잎과 꽃잎의 크기가 작아지고, 꽃의 개화가 지연되는 약해가 발생되었다.

The nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus and its vector insect Monochamus alternatus are major quarantine pests of timber products in Korea. Due to the phaseout of methyl bromide as a fumigant for plant quarantine and pre-shipment treatments, the need for an alternative fumigant is essential. Based on preliminary studies on the efficacy of ethanedinitrile (C2N2) to these two pests, three quarantine trials on logs covered with PVC-tarpaulins were conducted at three dosages and three temperatures potential for inhalation exposure was assessed by monitoring atmospheric levels of C2N2 in relation to the threshold limit value (TLV, 10 ppm, v/v). Concentration × time products (Ct) of 398.6, 547.2 and 595.9 g h m-3 were obtained for each quarantine trial. A 100% mortality of B. xylophilus and M. alternatus larvae at 23±4°C and 10±4°C occurred with a load factor of pine logs of 46% and at 3±1°C with a load factor of 30%. During all fumigant procedures, atmospheric levels of C2N2 20m downwind from the PVC tarpaulin were below the TLV. During aeration, levels 10 m and 5 m downwind were below the TLV after a maximum of 0.4 h and 1 h, respectively. For the purpose of an emergent quarantine or phytosanitary treatment, specific doses of C2N2 at the temperatures that occurred during fumigation could control B. xylophilus and M. alternatus larvae without significant inhalation risk to workers.

Ethyl formate (EF) and phosphine (PH3) is an alternative fumigant to methyl bromide (MB). For applying import sweet pumpkins in Korea, the efficacy of EF and PH3 was evaluated on Tetranychus urticae adult and egg stage which is pest in sweet pumpkins. The eggs of T. urticae were more tolerance than adults in both EF and PH3. When T. urticae eggs were treated with EF for 4 hrs, LCT99=107.63 mg/L and LCT99=45.37 mg/L at 5°C and 20°C, respectively. PH3 treatment at 5°C and 20°C for 24 hrs, eggs were controlled LCT99=49.44 mg/L and LCT99=17.23 mg/L, respectively. The mixed treatment of EF and PH3 showed no significant synergistic effect on T. urticae. However, EF (80 mg/L) and PH3 (4 mg/L) treatment did not cause any external phytotoxicity damages in sweet pumpkin even when treated with the maximum amount of fumigant at 5℃ and 20℃ for 24hrs.

Ethyl formate (EF) and phosphine (PH3) is an alternative fumigant to methyl bromide (MB). The egg, nymph, and adult stages of Frankliniella occidentalis in asparagus were examined for the fumigation activity of EF and PH3. The eggs of F. occidentalis were more tolerance than other stages (adults and nymphs) in both EF and PH3. When the EF was treated for 4 hrs at 5℃ and 20℃, the eggs of F. occidentalis were LCT99=98.70 mg/L and LCT99=61.13 mg/L, and adults were LCT99=11.50 mg/L and LCT99=3.18 mg/L, respectively. However, at 5℃ and 20℃, the eggs were LCT99=83.76 mg/L and LCT99=53.6 mg/L, and adults were LCT99=4.58 mg/L and LCT99=3.44 mg/L, respectively for 4 hrs treatment of PH3. The PH3 was not any external phytotoxic damages at the maximum dose (4 mg/L), but the EF caused significant phytotoxicity in asparagus.

The resistance of maize weevil(Sitophilus zeamais), an important agricultural pest of stored grain, on aluminium phosphide fumigant(PH3) has been reported recently in Korea. Many researchers reported that ethyl formate(EF), a potential methyl bromide alternative fumigant, showed good efficacy on several grain pests. In this trial, based on CTP (concentration × time products), we evaluated efficacy of EF on phosphine resistant and susceptible maize weevil. Each of insect strains were collected in grain storehouses and examined the PH3 resistance according to FAO method (Busvine, 1980). L(Ct)90 of PH3 resistant and susceptible strain was 48.3 and 0.3 g h m-3, respectively. When treated with EF, L(Ct)90 of PH3 resistant and susceptible strain was 90.0 and 110.9 g h m-3, respectively. In the case of EF, there was no difference between resistant and sucsecptible strain compare with PH3. These results indicates that EF is a potential alternative for aluminium phosphide resistance management in grain storehouses.

Ethyl formate (EF), a methyl bromide alternative fumigant which is commercially used for quarantine and pre-shipment(QPS) purpose, has a potential to control various insect pests. Based on CTP (concentration × time products), we've firstly evaluated fumigation trials of EF on cucumber plants to eradicate horticultural insect pests in greenhouse. In the preliminary test, EF achieved 100% control of cotton aphid, western flower thrip and tobacco whitefly when CTP of EF was 4.4, 5.6 and 3.3 g h m-3, respectively. In 1300m3 scale cucumber greenhouse trial, EF was applied with 2g m-3 dosage for 15 hrs, and cotton aphid, western flower thrip and tobacco whitefly were completely controlled without phytotoxic symptom. EF fumigation could be suitable for greenhouse cultivation in terms of good efficacy on horticultural insect pests with labor-saving benefit than current insecticide spraying applications.

Exportation of sweet persimmon has been grown up recently, but the growth was accumulated because of quarantine and shelf life issues. Herein, we've investigated the concurrent processing of ethyl formate (EtF), a MeBr alternative quarantine fumigant, and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), an anti-ethylene compound, on sweet persimmon and suggested proper fumigation methods. An important quarantine pest, Tetranychus urticae, was inoculated on sweet persimmon, and then 70 g m-3 of ethyl formate has been fumigated for 6 h before and after 1 ppm of 1-MCP treatment for 24 h at 5°C condition. These concurrent processing showed the promise that efficacy of EtF was enough to meet quarantine guideline and shelf life of fruits was extended in terms of the hardness, surface color and sugar contents when treated fruits were stored for four weeks at 5°C.