The summer season has already arrived. Are you waiting for your much anticipated mango harvest? Beware farmers! Don’t let fruit flies hinder your mango yield and diminish your profits. With the fruit being the economically valuable part of this crop, it is crucial that you protect it from the pests. Fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis), is a serious pest of mango, especially during fruit development and fruit ripening stage. They can infest a significant portion of the fruit, leading to reduced quality and market value. On average, fruit fly infestation can cause yield losses of around 25 – 30%. However, in severe cases, it can cause up to 90% loss. So, take proactive steps by early detection, prevention and management as guided in this article to make your mango season the most bountiful and profitable.
To detect fruit fly infestation in mangoes, you should look for the following signs;
(NOTE: Time and placement of traps is important to ensure effective trapping. Place the traps during the fruit development stage till the harvest. Also, hang or position the traps near areas of high fruit fly activity)
For effective management of fruit flies, you have to prioritize preventive measures before resorting to chemical management. Consider chemical control as a last resort when preventive measures alone are not sufficient to manage the infestation.
In case of severe infestation i.e., if you find > 5 flies per trap per day, bait spray can be done on the tree trunk once a week. Prepare it by mixing 100 grams of molasses or jaggery and 2 ml/lit of Deltamethrin in 1 liter of water.
Spray Tracer Insecticide at 0.4 ml/lit water.
Product name | Technical content | Dosage |
Ekalux Insecticide | Quinalphos 25% EC | 2 ml/lit water |
Decis 2.8 EC Insecticide | Deltamethrin 2.8 EC | 1.5 ml/lit water |
BACF Endtask Insecticide | Fipronil 40% + Imidacloprid 40% WDG | 0.5 gm/lit water |
Tafgor Insecticide | Dimethoate 30% EC | 1.5 ml/lit water |
Fenos Quick Insecticide | Flubendiamide 8.33% + Deltamethrin 5.56% SC | 0.5 ml/lit water |
(NOTE: The above-mentioned insecticides can be sprayed along with neem oil. Check the product’s description to know the right time of application)
Treat the harvested fruits with hot water at 48˚C for 1 hour.
To protect your mangoes from fruit fly attack, regularly monitor the orchard for signs of its infestation, follow the above-mentioned preventive measures such as good cultural practices, installing traps and regular spray of neem oil combined with chemical management to get rid of the pest attack. By doing so, you can safeguard the quality of the fruits and ensure more yield and profit.
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