ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the potential use of radio frequency heating to achieve quarantine security of pests of food plants. The radio frequency portion of the tromagnetic spectrum falls between the audio frequency and the infrared portions. From the beginning of radio frequency research on insect kill, it was conjectured that discriminate heating of insects inside of agricultural commodities may be obtained by selected frequencies. Microwaves are the most commonly used radio frequency waves for heating purposes. In any case, radio frequency heating would only be feasible in a small space because power requirements increase by the square of the distance from the radiating plate. High energy cost compared with other disinfestation methods, uneven heating, and damage to commodities have been the primary reasons why radio frequency has not been used commercially in insect control.
