The protocol for gaining approval to ship a new fruit or cultivar into Japan is a long and tedious process. The Japanese government requires first of all that U.S. scientists determine which stages of the insect are likely to be found on the fruit at harvest time.
Tests must then be done on those stages to show that they can be killed by the proposed treatment, which in the case of cherries and apples is a cold storage treatment and fumigation by methyl bromide. Results are sent to Japanese officials for their consideration.
If the results are accepted, "efficacy" tests must be done on fruit infested with 30,000 insects showing there are no survivors.
If results of those tests are accepted, similar "confirmatory" tests must be done in the presence of a Japanese government official, using at least 10,000 insects.
Finally, phytotoxicity studies are required to assess the impact of the treatment on the particular cultivar of cherry, and what residues of methyl bromide remain.
All these steps, except determining which stage of the insect is present, must be repeated for each additional cultivar, as well as on an approved cultivar for comparison.
Moffitt has done the entomological studies; Dr. Steve Drake, postharvest horticulturist with the Agricultural Research Service in Wenatchee, Washington, has done the phytotoxicity studies; and the residue studies have been conducted by Dr. Jim Leesch with the ARS in Fresno, California.
