UTH has developed and successfully tested a system to precisely monitor temperature within fruit on the tree
A custom-made prototype logger has been developed by our colleague (Efi Bataka, Laboratory of Biometry UTH) to collect temperature data within overwintering fruits in UTH’s Pilot Site, Lehonia, Magnesia, Greece. This is part of the activity to monitoring medfly overwintering resources, in the frameworks of the FF-IPM project.
The first successful preliminary test has been conducted from 12 to 14 September 2020. Temperature was recorded for 2 consecutive days every 5-6 mins in fruit core, under fruit surface and outside fruit using needle-like probes. Commercial apples were selected as hosts from the official Pilot Units in the Site, and preliminary results are presented below.
The developed equipment will be used to precisely assess temperature in overwintering hosts of the Mediterranean fruit fly in the frameworks of the FF-IPM project.
The first successful preliminary test has been conducted from 12 to 14 September 2020. Temperature was recorded for 2 consecutive days every 5-6 mins in fruit core, under fruit surface and outside fruit using needle-like probes. Commercial apples were selected as hosts from the official Pilot Units in the Site, and preliminary results are presented below.
The developed equipment will be used to precisely assess temperature in overwintering hosts of the Mediterranean fruit fly in the frameworks of the FF-IPM project.
Fig 1: Drawing showing probe insertion and cut apple with probe cavities
Fig 2. The different parts of the temperature data logger
Fig 3. Establishment of the temperature data logger establishment in the field
Fig 4. Results of fruit temperature fluctuation in a 2-day outdoor preliminary experiment (arrow shows maximum temperature difference value: 6.3oC)
The Insect Biology Laboratory team - UTH: Kostas Zarpas, Vasilis Rodovitis, Efi Bataka and Nikos Papadopoulos
