Comparative study on the potential of Malathion 57% and selected pesticide safe alternatives in reducing fruit flies infestation in the New Valley Orchards

Abstract

A comparative study on the efficacy of “Malathion 57%” and selected pesticide safe alternatives on Tephritid fly infestation was initiated on Mandarin and Guava orchards in the New Valley Oases. Field infestation on mandarin fruits was reduced by variable percentages after using the tested compounds as follows: Ashock by 66.58% > Malathion by 59.91% > KZ oil by 53.08% > Naterlo oil by 45.52%. After transferring the sprayed mandarin fruits into the laboratory, the reduction percentage of the emerged pupae and/or adults were estimated. KZ oil exhibited the highest emerged pupal reduction percentage with an average of 83.37%. Similar high reduction percentages were recorded by using the remaining compounds with an average of 83.25%, 75.85% and 73.85% for Malathion, Ashock and Naterlo oil, respectively. A similar trend was recorded in terms of the emerged adults. Naterlo and KZ oils exhibited high persistence, as well as Malathion 57%. So, it can be recommended to use the tested safe alternatives and prevent the use of chemical compounds in controlling Tephritid flies in Mandarin orchards. A similar field effect of the tested compounds was detected in Guava orchards. The general reduction percentages in field infestation can be arranged in descending order as follows: Ashock by 57.39% > Malathion by 48.48% > Kabel-2 oil by 43.45% > Success 0.24 CB (GF-120) by 39.14%. Ashock and Malathion 57% exhibited the highest reduction percentages on the emerged pupae and/or adults within two weeks after transferring the sprayed fruits into the laboratory. So, the persistence of these compounds was higher than Kabel-2 oil and Success 0.24 CB (GF-120), which showed low pupal and/or adult reduction percentages, either after two weeks, or as a general reduction. Consequently, it can be recommended to use the naturally safe alternative “Ashock” on controlling fruit flies infestation in Guava orchards.

Keywords:

• Ceratitis capitata
• Mandarin
• Guava
• malathion
• selected insecticide
• New Valley Orchards

Acknowledgements

We wish to acknowledge the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, Cairo, Egypt, for funding the project entitled “Study on biological means for controlling the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) in New Valley Governorate”.