Fruit flies cause guava losses. We evaluated low-cost attractants and trap colors in a guava orchard at Kohat, Pakistan, in 2017. In Experiment 1, 15 attractant formulations were tested in five replications. Methyl eugenol/sugar/dimethoate (one month old) captured the most flies (27.34/trap); mango essence/protein hydrolysate/sugar/dimethoate (two months old) captured the least (2.03/trap). Fresh formulations captured more flies, but differences were non-significant. In Experiment 2, Bactrocera zonata preferred red traps (21.00/trap) and Bactrocera dorsalis preferred yellow traps (14.00/trap); yellow traps captured the highest total (30.00/trap). Methyl eugenol-based attractants and red/yellow traps are effective low-cost tools for monitoring fruit flies.
Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) is an economically important spice and vegetable crop constrained by insect pests and mites, necessitating sustainable pest management strategies. This study compared the efficacy, economics, natural enemy conservation, and pesticide residues of organic, integrated pest management (IPM) and chemical pest management modules. Field experiments were conducted during the kharif seasons of 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 in Maharashtra, India, using a randomized block design with four treatments and five replications. The modules were evaluated against major chilli pests, including thrips, broad mite, aphid, whitefly and fruit borer. The chemical module recorded the lowest sucking pest population (1.54 No./leaf) and fruit damage (2.31%). However, fruit yield under the IPM and chemical modules was statistically comparable and significantly higher than that under the organic module. The organic module supported the highest abundance of natural enemies, while the IPM module achieved the highest incremental cost-benefit ratio (8.30). Pesticide residues remained within maximum residue limits, and IPM provided pest efficacy and economic returns comparable to the chemical module with greater natural enemy conservation.
This study evaluated a wax-based Specialized Pheromone and Lure Application Technology (SPLAT) module for sustainable management of rice yellow stem borer (YSB), Scirpophaga incertulas, in the semi-arid agro-ecosystem of northern Karnataka. A two-season field trial (Kharif and Rabi 2018-19) was conducted at Raichur in a randomized complete block design with five replications and four treatments: existing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) (T1), refined SPLAT-IPM (T2), conventional farmer practice (T3) and untreated control (T4). T2 comprised a single transplanting-day SPLAT-YSB application (10 mg per dollop; 400 source points acre(-1)) with no reapplication. T2 achieved the lowest dead heart and white ear incidence across both seasons, representing over 80% reduction relative to the untreated control (p < 0.05). Spider and coccinellid populations under T2 remained comparable to the untreated control, whereas T3 severely depleted natural enemies. T2 also recorded the highest grain yield (similar to 31% above T4), with a benefit-cost ratio of similar to 4.5-4.8:1. A single-application, wax-based SPLAT-YSB module thus offers a pesticide-minimizing, economically viable and ecologically compatible solution for YSB management, suitable for area-wide deployment in comparable rice agro-ecosystems.
Bacterial diseases caused by Pantoea spp. are an emerging constraint for onion production in Uruguay. This study evaluated bacterial aggressiveness and the response of Uruguayan onion cultivars and breeding lines. P. ananatis MAI6032, P. agglomerans MAI6045, and Burkholderia sp. B.1.4 were the most aggressive isolates. No significant differences in foliar lesion length were detected among onion cultivars, while other cultivated Allium species showed minimal or no symptoms. Field trials identified 'INIA Casera' and 'INIA N & aacute;car' as less susceptible among short-day cultivars, and 'Pantanoso del Sauce', 'INIA Naqu & eacute;', and 'INIA Santina' among intermediate- and long-day cultivars.
