DETERRENCE EFFECT OF COLORED DIVERSION SHEETS ON THE POPULATION DENSITY OF MELON FRUIT FLIES BACTROCERA CUCURBITAE (COQUILLETT) AND YIELD PARAMETERS OF BITTER GOURD (MOMORDICA CHARANTIA L.)

Abstract

The bitter melon, or the bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.), is a tropical and subtropical area vegetable. Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett), causes 30 to 100% crop loss. This study used refractive color sheets to examine reduced-risk insecticide spinosad formulations of prevalence and infestation of fruit flies on bitter gourd plants. Three different angles (30°, 60°, and 90°) of reflective sheets were put in M. charantia beds. Results showed that fruit flies were substantially more prevalent (60%) in the control condition. Compared to other color sheets, treatments using yellow refractive sheets showed the highest occurrence of fruit flies. Spinosad, a low-risk insecticide, had the lowest fruit FI% (6%) and the highest commercial yield (860g/bed), followed by blue-colored refractive sheets. Installation angles had no appreciable impact on any of the examined characteristics. Additionally, treatments using yellow-colored refractive sheets and the spinosad formulation (1:1.8), (1:4.9) were found to have the highest and lowest CBR. Installing refractive sheets in colors other than yellow at angles of 30° or 60° has been determined to be a more successful and cost-efficient technique for reducing fruit fly incidence on several vegetable crops. This is especially true when combined with biorational insecticides like spinosad.