Heat Treatments for Postharvest Pest Control: Theory and Practice (Cabi International)

Due to the nature of agricultural commodities as carriers of exotic pests, importing countries have employed varying methods of pest control for postharvest products. Thermal treatments are emerging as effective, environmentally-friendly alternatives to traditional methods, eliminating chemical residues and minimizing damage to produce. This book provides comprehensive information of these increasingly important treatments, covering temperature measurement, heat transfer, physiological responses of plants, insects and pathogens to heat, and an introduction to current and potential quarantine treatments based on hot air, hot water, and radio frequency energy. This book, which consists of 13 chapters, provides fundamental and up-to-date published information on thermal treatments for the management of postharvest pests associated with agricultural commodity structures. Specific topics that are covered include: (i) regulatory issues for quarantine and phytosanitary treatments; (ii) basic information on temperature measurement, heat transfer, and thermal death kinetics of insects; (iii) biological responses of agricultural commodities and insect pests; (iv) biological responses of plants, insects and pathogens to heat; and (v) an introduction to current and potential quarantine treatments based on hot air, hot water, and radio frequency energy. This book should serve as an important resource for readers who are interested in knowledge, methods and strategies used in the development of environmentally friendly processes based on thermal energy. This book may also be suited for readers in the academe, industry and government.