Management of Fruit Flies Bactrocera zonata (Diptera: Tephritidae) Infesting Mangoes (Mangifera indica)
Management of Fruit Flies Bactrocera zonata (Diptera: Tephritidae) Infesting Mangoes (Mangifera indica)
Khalid Abdullah1, Muhammad Mamoon-ur-Rashid2*, Muhammad Safdar Baloch3, Iqtidar Hussain3, Zuhair Hasnain4 and Muhammad Naeem2
ABSTRACT
Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) are considered highly destructive insect pests damaging numerous fruits and vegetables across the globe, causing significant economic losses. In the present investigations, a series of experiments were conducted comprising of food and sex lure, and neem oil to devise an IPM model for the management of fruit fly B. zonata in mango orchards. The data were recorded on the percent infestation in dropped and harvested fruits. The neem oil at 5% and 3% concentrations was found effective for controlling fruit flies. Pheromone traps lured with Methyl Eugenol in combination with intermittent food bait comprising of protein hydrolysate resulted in 86.48 and 94.18% reduction in fruit fly population in dropped and harvested fruits in first picking 87.5 and 89.2% in second picking, respectively. The IPM model comprised of 1) installation of sex lure traps (4/acres), 2) Crop Hygiene (CH) [removal of weed flora from fruit fly resting and sheltering places], 3) hoeing (twice) under the mango trees; 4) twice application of intermittent food bait during the fruiting season. It was evident from the obtained results that tested IPM practices reduced infestation of fruit flies 0.4% in dropped and 0.8% in harvested fruits respectively compared to that of farmer’s practices (conventional approach) where 7 and 10.5% infestation of fruit flies was recorded in dropped and harvested fruits. In conclusion, the IPM protocol comprising of the combination of bait application, MAT, orchard sanitation and the cover spray of plant derivatives was most effective in reducing fruit flies in mango orchards.
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