Irradiation as a phytosanitary measure for grapes infested with the European grapevine moth pupae

Muhammed Mansour, Jalal Al-Attar

Volume 27, Issue 4;
Pages: 371-377; 2021
ISSN: 2069-0053 (print) (former ISSN: 1453-1399), Agroprint;
ISSN (online): 2068-9551

Grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana (Denis & Schiffermuller), late pupae were exposed to gamma radiation of 50 to 200 Gy and effects on adult emergence were examined.  In addition, moths resulting from male and female pupae exposed to the same doses were crossed to non-irradiated insects of the opposite sex.  The effects on fecundity, fertility and survival of F₁ insects to the adult stage were investigated.  Results showed that, while adult emergence was not significantly affected at the examined dosages, fecundity of females, whether irradiated or crossed to irradiated males was negatively affected.  The effect, however, was stronger when females were the irradiated sex.  Fertility of both males and females also decreased with increasing irradiation dose; percentage fertility decreased from about 88% for the control to 37.6 and 0 % for irradiated males and females exposed to 200 Gy, respectively.  Furthermore, irradiation reduced survival of the progeny of irradiated insects and at 200 Gy, all F₁ insects died before reaching the adult stage. This study supports a dose of 200 Gy as a phytosanitary measure against L. botrana and a generic dose of no more than 400 Gy for pupae of Lepidoptera.