PEST-MANAGEMENT BEFORE HARVEST AND INSECTICIDAL DIP AFTER HARVEST AS A SYSTEMS-APPROACH TO QUARANTINE SECURITY FOR RED GINGER

A systems approach consisting of insecticide application before harvest and use of an insecticidal dip after harvest provided quarantine security that eliminated all insect pests of red ginger, Alpinia purpurata (Vieill.) K. Schum., including the aphid, Pentalonia nigronervosa Coquerel; cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover; citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Risso); obscure mealybug, Pseudococcus affinis (Maskell); longtailed mealybug, Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni-Tozzetti); cardamom thrips, sciothrips cardamomi (Ramakr); black earwig, Chelisoches morio (F.); and an ant, Technomyrmex albipes (F. Smith). Insecticide application consisted of chlorpyrifos 50 dry flowable (DF) applied to the foliage at 2-wk intervals, or chlorpyrifos 20 microencapsulated (MEC) applied as an insecticide barrier treatment. A 5-min dip with a combination of fluvalinate 2.0 flowable (F) and insecticidal soap (potassium salts of fatty acids) with agitation after harvest killed any remaining survivors as long as field populations had <6% mealybug infestation, <33% banana aphid infestation, and <70% cotton aphid infestation. These procedures plus a final inspection of flowers for live insects ensured pest-free ginger flowers that met quarantine security requirements.