Influence of different treatments on the presence of olive fruit fly in Croatian Istria

Abstract

Research was conducted in 2013 on the presence of one of the most important olive pests, olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae Gmel.), following different plant protection treatments in Kastelir near Porec (Croatia). In this research on an olive grove planted with the cultivar 'Leccino', the experiment was set up with five treatments: conventional plant protection, organic plant protection, pyrethrin, consociation of olive and planted pyrethrum (Tanacetum cinerariifolium (Trevir.) Sch. Bip.), and control. Olive fruit fly presence was monitored weekly using separate pheromone traps on each treatment, and comparison between the treatments was performed. The climatic conditions in Istria were also monitored during 2013. The average number of captured adult olive fruit flies varied between treatments, with the largest average number detected on the control (12.7), while the greatest presence of olive fly life stages was detected on organic treatments (3.8). The smallest average number of captured adult olive flies was detected on pyrethrin treatment (5.7), while the smallest presence of olive fly life stages was detected on conventional treatments (0.9); however, the differences in both these cases were not statistically significant. In addition, olive flies were monitored by yellow sticky trap. The highest yield was determined on conventional treatment (9.3 kg tree‑1), while the lowest yield was on consociation and organic treatment (8.8 kg tree‑1); however, the difference between the two was not statistically significant.