Farmers advised to keep orchards clean for controlling fruit fly

The Punjab Agriculture Department (PAD) has advised the fruit farmers to keep their orchards clean for controlling fruit fly which is very harmful for the Guava, Citrus and Mango etc. orchards. 'Due to attack of fruit fly our farmers bear larger economical loss. Cleanliness of orchards is mandatory to control fruit fly,' said a spokesman of the Department in an advisory issued here on Wednesday.
The sexual traps for monitoring of fruit fly 'Methyl Eugenol' is used to control male fruit fly whereas 'Proteinaceous Bait' is used to control female fruit fly. Hoeing should be done four to five times to eliminate the pupae of fruit fly. By placing the affected fruits for 8 to 9 hours at hard surface the larvae and pupa of fruit fly can be eliminated.
Spokesman further disclosed that the elimination of dropped fruits is necessary because fruit fly inside such fruits can enter the soil after growing up and remained in the soil in the shape of pupa. After then by uncovering, come outside the soil and male-female complete mating process. After mating, female fruit fly lays eggs inside the fruits and this process continues. The host plants for fruit fly may not be cultivated near the orchards.
Agriculture Department Punjab has started to produce these beneficial insects in laboratories. The larval parasitoide and pupail parasitoide beneficial insects will be provided free of cost to the farmers to control fruit fly, the advisory concluded.