IRRADIATION OF ANASTREPHA-SUSPENSA (DIPTERA, TEPHRITIDAE) - NEW IRRADIATION FACILITY

An irradiation facility financed by a Cooperative Agreement with the U .S. Dept. of Energy, is near completion in Gainesville, FL. It utilize s a GE-CGR linear accelerator as the irradiation source in a two level design. The lower level has a one meter horn for 10 MeV electrons to irradiate shallow layers of commodities. The upper level has a 2.5 met er horn equipped to produce 5 MeV X-rays to irradiate loads up to pall et size. Automated conveyors transport materials to be irradiated. The facility is divided for irradiated and unirradiated commodities with freezer and refrigerated storage on both sides. The facility is design ed for both research and demonstration purposes and has the capacity t o irradiate over 10 million Caribbean fruit fly larvae or pupae per mi nute.