Ionizing radiation as a phytosanitary treatment in Zea mays L. var. everta

Abstract

Quarantine treatment has been used to provide protection against pests by eliminating the stages evolutionary cycle that may be associated with the product. Popcorn is used in the food industry in the form of dry beans and is an economic option for producers and their sale generates foreign exchange worldwide. The aim of this work is to evaluate the effects of gamma radiation on seeds of popcorn (Zea mays L. var. everta). The seeds was be purchased in the retail trade of São Paulo city, later was be infested in the Laboratory of Food Irradiation at IPEN, then was be submitted to different doses of gamma radiation: 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 Gy. A Gammacell-220 at 60Co source at a dose rate of 1.4 kGy / hr at the Technology Center of Radiation (CTR) IPEN-CNEN / SP. Each treatment was consisting of 3 replicates with 100 grams of popcorn kernels. Samples was be packed and stored at a temperature of 25 ± 2 ° C and relative humidity of 70 ± 5%. By the results, it can conclude that the dose of 75 Gy can be indicated to control insects Sitophilus zeamais in popcorn.