Evaluation of potato tuber moth mortality following postharvest cold storage of potatoes

Developmental stages of the potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller), were subjected to low temperatures to determine the effect of short- and long-term exposure on egg hatch, larval mortality, and adult longevity. The hatching of eggs, for all ages, did not exceed 12 and 38% after 35 d of exposure to 3 and 7 °C, respectively. Survival of 1- and 8-d-old larvae was negatively affected by cold storage. One-d-old larvae did not survive 42 d of cold storage at 3 °C. No adult emergence occurred after 56 d of exposure to 7 °C for 8-d-old larvae. In adult longevity experiments, 5.5 and 8.3% of moths were still alive after 28 and 35 d of storage at 3 and 7 °C, respectively. The low temperatures applied during postharvest storage of potatoes could be efficiently used as a protective disinfestation technique against the potato tuber moth.

► Mortality in the potato tuber moth (PTM) was evaluated following cold storage of potatoes.
► Cold storage for 49 days at 3 °C is required to inhibit PTM developmental stages.
► Sixty three days of exposure at 7 °C is needed to obtain the same detrimental effects.
► Low temperatures used for potatoes storage could be efficient tool to reduce PTM infestations.