Journal of Taiwan Agricultural Research

Author:Ching-Hua Kao, Yu-Bing Huang*, Ming-Yao Chiang, Yu-Shih Hsieh, and Edward Y. Cheng

Abstract:

    Area-wide control of the oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel, OFF) in large acreage of sugar apple was planned in 2000, and the control program was initiated in 2003.  Major control practices included farmer training, fruit fly monitoring program and male annihilation technique using poisoned methyl eugenol bait.  The estimated total control acreage was 15,000 ha, which was divided into 15 sub-districts; the outskirt area constituted 12 sub-districts and the rest 3 sub-districts were considered as inner circle.  The OFF density in both orchard and wild area were monitored every 10 days.  Three sub-districts in the inner circle were mostly sugar apple plantation, and no wild area for density monitoring.  After implemented the control program for 4 years, the obtained data indicated that there are two high OFF density peaks annually.  The first peak occurred from April to June and the second peak was from October to December.  The fruit fly density in sugar apple orchard was always lower than the wild region, and the OFF density had a tendency of decreasing year by year.  All 3 sub-districts of the inner circle had the lowest fruit fly density, usually lower than 10 flies/trap/day.  Most fruit fly control effort was concentrated on the 12 outskirt sub-districts, and only one OFF outbreak had occurred in one of the inner circle sub-districts in 2006, which was quickly detected and controlled.  From 2003-2006, the OFF control rate in the outskirt sub-districts were 72.2%, 81.3%, 82.6% and 89.0%, respectively.  The results of area-wide OFF control in the sugar apple plantation of Taitung indicated that through the cooperation of farmer’s groups, simply by applying 750-850 liters of poisoned methyl eugenol bait a year could effectively reduce the fly density and the preliminary test can further be used to evaluate field control efficacy.

Key words:Bactrocera dorsalis, Area-wide control, Sugar apple, Large acreage model

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