Fruit fly: Bactrocera (Dacus) dorsalis
Symptoms of damage:
- Maggot bore into semi-ripen fruits with decayed spots and dropping of fruits.
- Oozing of fluid
- Brownish rotten patches on fruits.
Identification of pest:
- Larva – Yellowish apodous maggots.
- Adult – Light brown with transparent wing
Management:
- Collect fallen infested fruits and dispose of them by dumping in a pit and covering with soil.
- Provide summer ploughing to expose the pupa
- Monitor the activity of flies with methyl eugenol sex lure traps.
- Use bait spray combine any one of the insecticides and molasses or jaggery 10 g/l
- malathion 50EC 2 ml/l,
- dimethoate 30 EC 1 ml/l,
- carbaryl 50 WP 4 g/l. two rounds at 2 weeks interval before ripening of fruits.
- Prepare bait with methyl eugenol 1% solution mixed with malathion 0.1%.
- Take 10 ml of this mixture per trap and keep them in 25 different places in one hectare
- Heavy infestation – application of dust and sprays of pyrethrum
- Spray malathion 50 EC 2ml/lit.
- Field release of natural enemies Opius compensates and Spalangia philippines.
Source-
- TamilNadu Agritech Portal
