Abstract
Citrus plays a significant role in providing nutrition to people and generating income for the citrus farmers in Nepal. Among various biotic problems in citriculture, Chinese Citrus Fly (CCF), Bactrocera minax (Enderlein) (Diptera: Tephritidae) has become a major threat to the production of the tight skin citrus fruits, viz. sweet orange, lemon and lime in recent years. This invasive species originated in China and seems to have entered into north-eastern Nepal through Bhutan and Sikkim (India). The damage to sweet orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) by CCF has shown a yearly increasing pattern since 2014 in the central hilly citrus orchards in the districts of Sindhuli and Ramechhap. Sindhuli district holds the first position in terms of sweet orange acreage and its production in Nepal. Conventional pest control measures including pesticide cover spray seemed to have resulted in limited effect in controlling CCF. Thus, as a pilot program, an Area-Wide Control Program (AWCP) of this pest was conducted in 40 ha of sweet orange orchards at Golanjor Rural Municipality-4, Tinkanya in Sindhuli, Nepal to minimize the fruit damages by maggots of B. minax. AWCP focused on the life cycle based management strategy of this pest, targeting the female adult fly population. Formulated protein bait (Great Fruit Fly Bait) containing 25% protein hydrolysate and 0.1% Abamectin was used as spot application underside of the 0.5 to 1 m2 leaf for 10 times at a weekly interval from May to July 2018 as per the protocol developed by Ecoman Biotech, China. The result revealed that the leaf underside spot treatment with the protein bait was highly efficient to minimize the sweet orange fruit losses from 56.7 to 10.9%. Coordination among stakeholders along with sound technical aspect and managerial function seemed essential for the successful implementation of B. minax AWCP.
Highlights
Citrus fruits are grown commercially in about 140 countries in the world (NRC, 2010)
An interaction program with concerned technical and managerial personnel of Junar Superzone was organized at Khaniyakharka, Sindhuli and a workshop was organized by Junar Superzone, Sindhuli at Sindhulimadi to share the managerial and technical aspects of Area-Wide Control Program (AWCP)
Area-Wide Control Program of insect pest includes the tools in practices in the specific area at national, regional and smaller area levels
Summary
Citrus fruits are grown commercially in about 140 countries in the world (NRC, 2010). Citrus is an important fruit commodity in the mid-hill of Nepal. Citrus fruits are generally consumed as fresh fruit as well and extraction of juice and further processing (Adhikari and Rayamajhi, 2012). Sindhuli and Ramechhap are the two major sweet orange growing districts in Nepal. The sweet orange variety produced in Sindhuli is called JUNAR in Nepal has its own history of origin in the Ratanchura and Nakajoli villages there. The sweet orange cultivation in Sindhuli is vital for the income generation and for the name and fame of the district. The sweet orange produced in Sindhuli is popularly known all over the country as "SINDHULIKO JUNAR" means sweet orange from Sindhuli
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