One of the primary goals of the Agricultural Research Service is to ensure high-quality, safe agricultural products while sustaining a competitive agricultural economy.  Our unit seeks to achieve this by discovering new ways to control postharvest insect pests and decay in horticultural commodities.  In doing so, we help provide the public with quality produce and overcome quarantine barriers to allow increased exports of U.S. crops.  In addition, much of our work deals with developing non-chemical commodity treatments and integrated management systems which will reduce the use of chemical pesticides.

CP&Q scientists have received funding for an Areawide project on pest management for navel orangeworm control in almonds, pistachios and walnuts.  The project is in collaboration with University of California scientists.

Recent   Staff   Publications

Leesch, J.G., Smilanick, J.L., Tebbets, J.S.  Methyl bromide fumigation of packed table grapes: Effect of shipping box on gas concentrations and phytotoxicity. Palou, L., Smilanick, J.L., Droby, S. Alternatives to conventional fungicides for the control of citrus postharvest green and blue molds. Yokoyama, V.Y., Rendon, P., Sivinski, J.M.  Psyttalia cf. concolor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) for Biological Control of Olive Fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) in California. Cole, G., Kuenen, L.P.  Multimodal integration: Visual cues helps odor-seeking fruit flies. Slaughter, D.C., Obenland, D.M., Thompson, J.F., Arpaia, M.L., Margosan, D.A.  Non-destructive freeze damage detection in oranges using machine vision and ultraviolet fluorescence.