Evaluation of different traps and lures combinations for monitoring and eco-friendly management of fruit fly (Bactrocera Spp) in peach orchards

Abstract

Chemical insecticides have hazardous effects on human health and the ecosystem hence there is a dire need of the hour to use nonchemical eco-friendly tactics for the management of major insect pests. While the use of traps and other attract-and-kill devices in pest management strategies to reduce fruit fly (Tephritidae) populations has proved to be efficient, therefore the current study was designed to evaluate different fruit fly traps and lure combinations for monitoring and eco-friendly management of fruit fly (Bactrocera spp) in the peach orchard at Agriculture Research Institute Swat. Among the tested traps, cylindrical bottle traps trapped the highest number of fruit flies/trap (155 fruit flies/trap/week), followed by Fruition NOVA® trap (34 fruit flies/trap/week) and Yellow sticky trap (12 fruit flies/trap/week). Similarly, for different lures the sequence is Methyl eugenol (134 fruit flies/trap/week)> Methyl eugenol + Cue lure (95 fruit flies/trap/week)> Fruition lure (26 fruit flies/trap/lure)> Cue lure (14 fruit flies/trap/week), while among different traps and lures combination Cylindrical bottle trap impregnated with Methyl eugenol trapped the highest number of fruit flies (321 fruit flies/trap/week) while the lowest number of fruit flies was trapped by Yellow sticky traps impregnated with Cue lure (10 fruit flies/trap/week). Moreover, among different species trapped in the peach orchard during 18 weeks B. zonata was found to be the most abundant (80 fruit flies/trap/week), followed by B. invadense (45 fruit flies/trap/week), B. dorsalis (7 fruit flies/trap/week), B. cucurbitae (1 fruit fly/trap/week) and B. tau (1 fruit fly/trap/week) while trapping population remained highest in mid-season (July, 2021) and it remained lowest at onset (June, 2021) and end of the season (September, 2021).