Potential Postharvest Use of Radiography to Detect Internal Pests in Deciduous Tree Fruits

Radiographic techniques were investigated for their potential to detect internal pests in deciduous tree fruits. Two non-destructive methods, X-ray CT imaging and film X-ray, were used to detect larval feeding damage caused by codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), in apples. In addition, CT imaging was used to detect larvae of the codling moth and western cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferens Curran (Diptera: Tephritidae), in cherries. Both techniques showed evidence of codling moth feeding tunnels in apples, as well as in cherries using CT imaging. CT images of cherries infested with fruit fly larvae showed retraction of the fruit pulp from the seed. This study supports the use of radiography to detect internally damaged fruits for sorting on the commercial packing line.