Dil Mahjoora Majeed, Aijaz Majeed, Majid Jamali and Rayees A Mir

The extensive damage caused by fruit flies to mango crops throughout the country leads to substantial decrease in the productivity of mango which leads to heavy financial losses to the farmers. To address this issue, a recent study utilizing advanced morphological techniques was conducted to examine the diversity and distribution of fruit flies in different mango farms at different locations viz, Behat, Nakur, Sadholi Quadeem, Malihabad, Kakori, Shahjahanpur and Mawana of three districts Saharanpur, Lucknow, and Meerut of Uttar Pradesh. The research identified a total of 10 fruit fly species of genus Bactrocera with species Bactrocera dorsalis, Bactrocera zonata, and Bactrocera correcta emerging as the most abundant species with mean population per month 200.88, 151.13 and 63.38 respectively for the year 2022 and 246.13, 210.50 and 47.88 respectively for the year 2023. Notably, the distribution of these pests was uneven, with higher concentrations observed on the orchard peripheries. The study revealed significant spatio-temporal fluctuations in both the quantity and diversity of fruit flies, with a notable surge in infestations during the post-monsoon season. There was yearly total catch of 3790 and 4146 of fruit flies for 2022 and 2023 respectively. All these species were found to be active throughout the fruity season (Apr-Oct) but comparatively a large number was accumulated in the peak months of July and August for both the years. A large part of the total count was collected from district Lucknow followed by Saharanpur and Meerut. The findings of this research hold a substantial value for farmers and researchers engaged in fruit fly management, providing crucial insights for devising effective pest control strategies. The identification of prevalent species opens avenues for targeted interventions, potentially curbing financial losses for mango growers.

DOI: 10.22271/phyto.2024.v13.i1c.14825

Pages: 190-195  |  488 Views  221 Downloads