4-Atfhic. ee. B. E. P. 0.. 5^2, Revised Effective September 12, 1950, as amended effec- tive November 20, 1952 and December 11, 1953 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE PLANT QUARANTINE BRANCH FOREIGN QUARANTINE NOTICES ADMINISTRATIVE INSTRUCTIONS PRESCRIBING METHOD OF TREATMENT OF ORANGES, GRAPEFRUIT, TANGERINES, AND MANILA MANGOES FROM MEXICO Pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Chief of the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine by § 319.5S-2 of the regulations supplemental to the Fruit and Vegetable Quarantine (Notice of Quarantine No. 56, 7 CFR 319- 56) > the following administrative instructions are hereby issued to prescribe method of treatment which will meet the treatment requirements imposed under § 319*56-2 as a condition of the issuance of permits for the importation from Mexico of commercially -sound oranges, grapefruit, and Manila mangoes. § 319.56-2g Administrative instructions prescribing method of treatment of oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and Manila mangoes from Mexico , (a] Conditions for issuance of permits . (T) Either of the approved vapor -heat schedules of treat - ment specified in paragraph (b) of this section will meet the treatment require- ments imposed under § 319«56-2 as a condition of the issuance of permits for (i) the importation from Mexico of commercially -sound oranges, free of leaves and other plant debris, or (ii) the importation from Mexico during the 5- in onth period begin- ning November 1 and ending the following March 31, of commercially -sound tangerines, with tight skins and free from air pockets or puffiness, and free of leaves and other debris, ^s revised, effective November 20, 1952, 17 F.R. 108Vf7 (2) The approved vapor -heat schedule of treatment specified in paragraph (b) (l) of this section will meet the treatment requirements imposed under § 319 «5o-2 as a condition of the issuance of permits for the importation from Mexico of commer- cially-sound grapefruit and Manila mangoes, free of leaves and other plant debris. ^As revised, effective November 20, 1952, 17 F.R. 108^77 (3) The treatment must be conducted in a heat-treating room approved by the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine and must be conducted under the super- vision of an inspector of that Bureau, who at all times shall have access to such fruits while they are undergoing treatment. (k) The Bureau will approve only those rooms which are properly constructed and adequately equipped to handle and treat such fruits, at locations acceptable to the inspector in areas where required supervision can be furnished. No treat- ing plant will hereafter be approved until it is equipped with a self-recording temperature and humidity indicator acceptable to the inspector. (5) All handling in Mexico subsequent to treatment of such fruits intended for shipment to the United States must be carried out to meet requirements satis- factory to the inspector and under such supervision as he may deem necessary. (6) All costs of construction, equipping, maintaining and operation of treating rooms and those associated with prescribed post -treatment safeguards shall be borne by the owner of such fruits, or his representative. (7) Supervision at places contiguous to ports of entry where inspectors are regularly stationed will be furnished without cost to the owner of the fruit, or his representative. - 2 - (8) In cases where treating rooms are located in the interior of Mexico, or at places removed from ports of entry where inspectors are reg- ularly stationed, those in interest must make advance arrangements for approval of the plant and for supervision, and furnish the Chief of the Bureau of Entomology and Plant quarantine with acceptable assurance that they will provide, without cost to the United States Department of Agricul- ture, all salaries, transportation , per diet, and other incidental expenses for the supervising inspectors, including the payment to the inspectors of additional compensation for their services in excess of hO hours weekly, according to rate6 established for the payment of Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine inspectors. / As revised, effective December 11, 1953 > 18 F.R. 8l2£7 (9.) In the tests and experiments so far conducted with the approved treating schedules such fruits have not teen injured. It is, however, emphasized that inexe.ctr.ess and carelessness in using the approved schedules for vapor-heat treatment may result in injury to the fruit treated. In authorizing the use of the treatment specified in paragraph (b) of this section, the United States Department of Agriculture dees not accept re- sponsibility for fruit injury. (b) Vapor-heat method of treatm e nt and appro v ed schedules . In ap- proved vapor-heat treatment the fruit is heated by saturated vapor at 110°F. which in condensing en the fruit gives up its latent heat. Thi6 latent heat is essential in assuring mortality of eggs and larvae of the fruitflies known to occur in Mexico and in raising the temperature of the ruit evenly and quickly 60 as to prevent damage to the fruit. In practice in such treat- ments the saturated vapor is accompanied by a fine water mist and air ad- mixture. The fruit is cooled immediately after treatment, and no wax or paraffin, either dry or in solution, is used until after the treatment has been completed. Vapor-heat treatment is approved only if the vapor con- ditions within the heat-treating room, the manner of stacking the field boxes containing the fruit in the room, and all other conditions affecting the efficacy of the treatment are satisfactory, in the opinion of the supervising Inspector, to assure mortality of eggs and larvae of the fruit- flies known to occur in Mexico. The following schedules of vapor-heat treatment, when conducted in accordance with the principles stated above in this paragraph and in paragraph (a) of this section, are approved: (1) The temperature of the fruit uhall be raised to 110°F., at the approximate center of the fruit, in a period of 8 hours and shall be held at that level during the following 6 hours. This method is adapted to sterilization plants that do not have the capacity to increase the tempera- ture of the fruit steeply at the beginning of the treating period. (2) The temperature of the fruit shall be raised to 11C°F., at the approximate center of the fruit, in a period of 6 hours and shall be held at tlat level during the following h houts. The temperature of the fruit must be raised rapidly during the first 2 hours, after which it may be gradually raised to 110 c .?. in the following U hours. These administrative instructions 6hall be effective the 12th day of September, 1950, and at that time shall supersede B. E. P. 4. No. 5U2, effective September U, 19^5 (7 CFR 319-56-2g). V - 3 - The foregoing administrative instructions merely restate a method of treatment previously approved in administrative instructions now in effect and further authorize a new alternative schedule for use of vapor-heat for treatment of oranges which shortens the period of treatment and thereby provides a less burdensome means than the one presently authorized by which Mexican shippers of oranges may qualify their fruit for importation. Ac- cordingly the foregoing administrative instructions relieve restrictions now in effect. Research has disclosed moreover that this new alternative schedule of treatment for oranges may be used without increasing the risk of spread of injurious insects. In order to be of maximum benefit to such shippers, such new alternative method should be made available as soon as possible. Therefore, pursuant to section h of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U. S. C. 1003 ) it is found upon good cause that notice and public procedure on the foregoing administrative instructions are unnecessary, impracticable, and contrary to the public interest, and since these in- structions relieve restrictions they may properly be made effective under said section h less than thirty days after their publication in the Federal Register. (Sec. 5, 37 Stat. 316; 7 U. S. C. 159; 7 CFR 319.56-2) Done at Washington, D. C, this 30th day of August, 1950. ; A Chief, Bureau of Entomology and Plant-Quarantine Bureau of Entdmoloey and Planr-6 UNIVEPSITY OF FLORIDA urn 3 1262 09313 6710