INFLUENCE OF CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE TREATMENT ON STORAGE PESTS AND QUALITY OF SUN-DRIED FIG FRUITS

Sun-drying of fruit is a local practice especially under mild climatic conditions. In western Turkey, fig drying destined for the world market is a commercial practice. Prevention of storage pests attacking figs at the orchard while drying and later during storage is of major concern for the dried fig industry. Before the phase-out of methyl bromide (MB) was the most widely used fumigant to control storage pests due to its efficacy and low cost. After the ban, various alternatives are tested. A trial is designed to test controlled atmosphere in a pilot chamber developed by EcO2 (EcO2 B.V., AG Numansdorp, The Netherlands). Short term controlled atmosphere (CA) (%12±0.5 CO2, %1±0.5 O2, balance N2. fumigation at elevated temperature (41±1 o C) is tested on dried figs to control major storage pests, fig moth (Ephestia cautella), Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella), and dried fruit beetle (Carpophilus spp.), Dried fruit treated with MB (60 g/m 3 for 24 h) as control were compared with fruit fumigated with CA after the treatments and during 6 months storage under ambient conditions to assess quality changes. The tested CA treatment is recommended as a post-harvest MB alternative for dried figs since it provided 100% control of the pest species tested and required circa 26 h for the completion of the whole process which is comparatively shorter than most MB alternatives. CA application had no negative impact on dried fig quality, on the contrary had a positive effect by slowing down sugar formation on the outer skin at storage.