MULTAN:Horticulturists have advised farmers to instal pheromone traps in their orchards to counter fruit fly attack.
In a statement issued here an agriculture spokesman, citing experts, said that guava, mango, loquat, Java Plum or Indian Blackberry (Jaman), citrus, Peach and others are the host plants of fruit fly adding that it completes its growth within the fruit and later on enters soil and remain there as Pupae. Then it comes out of soil as fly and begins reproduction.
He said, there are four kinds of fruit fly in Punjab including Oriental fly, Peach fly, Melon fly and Berry fly and all have almost similar life cycle. Their population surges from April to November duration. The female fly then lay eggs inside the fruit to continue reproduction.
Orchard owners usually apply Methyl Eugenol to control male fruit fly, however, the pheromone trap made from Methyl Eugenol and Melathiyan has proved successful in controlling fruit fly.
Spokesman said that the use of pheromone traps reduces the cost of pesticide application by 80-90 per cent. He said that damaged or rotten fruit should be buried in soil. He said that after harvest, the fruit should be kept in 5 per cent solution of water and salt for an hour adding that it would kill the eggs of fruit fly. Later on, the fruit should be cleaned. He said that farmers should also adopt measures to control fruit fly on other host plants including vegetables and weeds.