about citrus fly

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Chinese Citrus Fly and Its Management
Agriculture and Forestry University
Rampur, Chitwan
Presented By:
Ajay Kumar Yadav
PLB-01M-2022
M.Sc. Agriculture
Department of
Genetics and Plant
Breeding
3rd
semester

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INTRODUCTION
• South China is the origin of the sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), a member of the
Rutaceae family.
• Citrus is grown commercially all over the world, but especially in warm
temperate, tropical, and semi-tropical climates (Nicolosis et al., 2000).
• The Chinese citrus fly (CCF) (Bactrocera minax), a fruit fly species endemic to
China, poses a significant threat to citrus production across Asia.
• According to Xia et al. (2018), sweet orange is the most popular host crop.
• This fly infests citrus crops during the larval stage, leading to substantial crop
losses.

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Cont...
• In Nepal's eastern hills, CCF is the most destructive oligophagous and
univoltine insect of sweet orange (Acharya and Adhikari, 2019; Adhikari et al.,
2020).
• According to Joshi (2019), the Chinese citrus fly (B. minax) has reportedly
spread throughout the citrus orchards in 11 districts in Nepal: Dhankuta,
Sankhuwasabha, Sindhuli, Ramechhap, Dolakha, Kavrepalanchok,
Sindhupalchok, Lamjung, Parbat, Gulmi, and Myagdi.
• More recently, it has been reported that the pest also infests mandarin oranges
and lemons (Adhikari et al., 2022).
• It is observed that the B. minax invasion is consistently spreading throughout
the nation, notably from Nepal's eastern to western regions.

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PROBLEM STATEMENT
• The CCF causes severe damage to citrus orchards due to its lifecycle, behavior, and high
reproductive potential.
• As it directly affects the fruit, infestations can lead to yield losses of up to 80%, impacting both
local farmers and the citrus industry.
• B. minax is the most troublesome pest in citrus production, and farmers are having trouble
controlling it in the field (Adhikari et al., 2022).
• The spread of CCFs is recorded from a relatively small number of locations, despite the fact that
Nepal has established a survey strategy for these insects (NPPO, 2019).
• According to Gautam et al. (2019), there were more fruit flies at elevations of 1200 meters above
sea level.
• The production of sweet oranges in Nepal's Sindhuli region, which is known as the sweat orange
hub, has followed retardation gear despite the growing trend of the cultivated area (MoALD,
2017).

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RATIONALE OF STUDY
• Demonstration of different management strategies in farmer’s field.
• Citrus has high production under proper management practice and uses of external inputs and if
it was unattacked by insect pest or managed insect pest attack for longer period of time.
• To identify the pest and to choose the best management plan for managing it, it is necessary to
have comprehensive information on the biology and morphological characteristics of the pest
(Adhikari et al., 2022).
• According to Yadav et al. (2023a) and Sharma et al. (2022), the identification and control of
these organisms can be greatly aided by appropriate screening of the CCF.
• Farmers have used a variety of techniques, such as burying fallen fruit, composting, giving fruit
fly larvae to hens, and even applying pesticides (Acharya and Adhikari, 2019).
• Prior to developing a management strategy, it is essential to comprehend the ecology and
behavior (Ansari et al., 2012).

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OBJECTIVES
Broad objective
• To investigate effective methods of controlling the
Chinese citrus fly
Specific objectives
• To reduce economic losses in citrus production
through integrated pest management (IPM)
• To evaluate the environmental impact of various
management strategies

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RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
Null hypothesis (H0): Different methods like IPM and Chemical have no
effect on management of citrus fruit fly.
Alternate hypothesis (H1): Different methods like IPM and Chemical have
effect on management of citrus fruit fly.

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LITERATURE REVIEW
• Life cycle of Chinese fruit fly: (Van Schoubro, 1999), (Dori et al., 2006),
(Adhikari and Joshi, 2019), (CABI, 2019)
• Nature of damage: (Rasid et al., 2021), (Dori et al., 2006), (Ecoman Biotech,
2014)
• Extent of damage in Nepal: (Adhikari et al., 2018; Adhikari and Joshi, 2019),
(Dori et al., 2006 and Dong et al., 2014)
• Pest Surveillance and Monitoring: (Zhou et al., 2012)
• Biological Control: (Manrakhan et al., 2021), (Adhikari, 2019), (Ekesi et al.,
2005)
• Chemical control: (Zhang et al., 2019), (Adhikari, 2019), (Xiang and Zheng,
2008)
• Cultural practices: (Jiang et al., 2020), (Adhikari and Joshi, 2014), (Xia et al.,
2018)
• Attract and Kill Method: (Adhikari et al., 2022), (Acharya and Adhikari,
2019; Adhikari et al., 2020)
• Regulatory Measures: (Wang & Lou, 1995), (EPPO, 2021)

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MATERIALS AND METHODS

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Research Site
• The experiment will be conducted from September 2024 to February 2025 in three different
farms at closed locations of Citrus Farmers Group.
• All will be located in Nepal’s mid-hill region with a subtropical climate in Putalibazar-03 of
Putalibazar municipality in syangjha district which is located in Gandaki Province of Nepal
• Latitude of 28°06′00″N,
• Longitude of 83°52′15″E, and
• Elevation of 868 m.
• The local locations were selected due to the abundance of farmers in the area growing
Citrus.
• Thus, the baits can be used to monitor, monitor, and manage fruit flies to assess the efficacy
of different trapping lures (baits).

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Research Design
• The experiment design followed was a Randomized Complete Block Design
(RCBD).
• Three locations were used as three replications and four different management
methods as treatments as given below.
Treatments are:
• T1= Treatment 1: Insecticide Application
• T2= Treatment 2: Baiting with Protein Baits
• T3= Treatment 3: Cultural Control Methods (Pheromone Traps)
• T4= Treatment 3: Biological Control with Natural Enemies
(Diachasmimorpha longiculata)

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Research Design Cont…
• The treatments will be aligned from east to west using a compass.
• The baits/lures will be hung at crop height (where fruiting occurs) using iron
wires.
• The distance between each bait from east to west will be 10 m to avoid
mixing intermixing of volatiles generated by such traps.
• Such spacing allowed the fruit flies to choose their favorite bait for feeding
where they got knocked out after feeding on Malathion-poisoned baits.
• Other Treatments will be applied as recommened dose.

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Field Monitoring
• Regular monitoring of citrus orchards using pheromone-baited traps and
visual inspections to detect the presence and population levels of the citrus
fruit fly is a crucial first step in effective management.

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Identification of Problem Areas
• Vulnerable Orchards: Orchards with high susceptibility based on factors
like variety, age, and proximity to infested areas
• Breeding Grounds: Locations with favorable conditions for the fly's
reproduction and proliferation, such as abandoned groves.
• Dispersal Pathways: Transportation routes and trade channels that facilitate
the inadvertent spread of the pest to new areas.
Experimental Trials: Controlled field trials and experiments will be conducted
to evaluate the efficacy of various management techniques, such as the use of
biological control agents, selective insecticides, and cultural practices.

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Data Collection and Analysis
Comprehensive data collection on pest population dynamics, crop damage, and
the effectiveness of management strategies is essential for refining and
optimizing the integrated pest management (IPM) approach.
Data Collection: Through trail, data will be collected on:
• Fruit Fly Population: Monitor the population density using traps.
• Fruit Damage Assessment: Assess the level of damage to fruit in each
treatment.
• Yield Measurements: Measure the overall yield from each treatment plot.

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Data Collection Methodology
• Trapping: Deploy a network of pheromone-baited traps to monitor fly
populations and track their movements.
• Identification: Utilize morphological characteristics and genetic analysis to
accurately identify the citrus fruit fly species.
• Sampling: Collect fruit samples to assess infestation levels and the
developmental stages of the fly larvae.

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Data Collection Process
• Trap Monitoring: Regular inspection and recording of trap catches to
determine population trends and peak activity periods.
• Fruit Sampling: Systematic collection of fruit samples from various
locations and tree heights to assess infestation rates.
• Laboratory Analysis: Collected specimens are brought to the laboratory for
detailed identification, life stage analysis, and behavioral studies to better
understand the pest's biology and develop targeted control strategies.
Dissection and microscopic examination of fruit samples to identify fly larvae
and determine their developmental stage.

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Data Analysis Techniques
• Spatial Mapping: Geospatial analysis to identify hot spots and monitoring
the spread of the pest across the citrus growing region.
• Trend Analysis: Monitoring population fluctuations over time to understand
the pest's life cycle and seasonal patterns.
• Damage Assessment: Quantifying the level of fruit infestation and resulting
economic losses to inform management decisions.

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STATISTICALANALYSIS
• Microsoft Excel will be used to derive mean and standard error of mean for
fruit damage assessment from the data generation of different citrus orchards.
• Data will be analyzed by RStudio (v2021). One-way ANOVA will be used to
check if the treatments were statistically different from one another.
• Square-root transformation will be performed for data normalization. Mean
comparison will be done by using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at
5% level of significance.

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WORK PLAN
Phase 1: Baseline Assessment
Conduct comprehensive surveys and monitoring to establish the baseline
population levels and distribution of the Chinese Citrus Fly in the target regions.
Phase 2: IPM Implementation
Deploy the integrated pest management strategies, including pheromone
trapping, biological control agents, targeted biorational spraying, and cultural
practices.
Phase 3: Monitoring and Evaluation
Continuously monitor the effectiveness of the management plan, analyze data,
and make necessary adjustments to optimize the approach.

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EXPECTED OUTCOME
• Decrease citrus fruit losses due to B. minax
• Reduce the dependency on chemical insecticides
• Promote ecological balance by encouraging biological control
measures
• Provide a framework for future management strategies against other
fruit fly species

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BENEFICIARIES
• The primary beneficiaries with the output of this research are
the subsistence, semi-commercial and commercial Citrus
growers throughout the Nepal.
• The secondary beneficiaries are the researchers, academicians
and extension agents within and outside the country who are
involved in Research and development of citrus crop.

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LIMITATION OF STUDY
• The trail will be successfully accomplished if all the biotic and abiotic factors
remained conductive.
• Similarly sufficient fund will be available on time.
RISK AND ASSUMPTIONS
• The study is limited due to time and budgetary constraints.
• The findings may not represent the large area due to the lack of time to
conduct research.

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BUDGET SUMMARY
S.N. Items Expenditure (Rs)
1 Baseline Assessment Rs. 25,000/-
2 Pheromone Traps Rs. 50,000/-
3 Biological Control Agents Rs. 1,00,000/-
4 Biorational Pesticides Rs. 50,000/-
5 Chemical Pesticides Rs. 30,000/-
6 Protein Baits Rs. 30,000/-
7 Monitoring and Evaluation Rs. 30,000/-
Total Rs. 3,15,000

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Thank You