Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

THE INCIDENCE STUDIES OF MELON FRUIT FLY (BACTROCERA CUCURBITAE COQ.) IN RELATION TO WEATHER PARAMETERS ON POINTED GOURD (TRICOSANTHES DIOICA ROXB.)

Tushar M. Ghule and S. Jha

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at ‘Incheck farm’, ‘C’ Block, BCKV, Kalyani, West Bengal during two consecutive years i.e. 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 from the month November to June, to study the incidence pattern of Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coq.) in relation to weather parameters on pointed gourd. During 2010-11, peak larval incidence (15.1 maggots/fruit) was recorded during first week of May, 2011and highest fruit damage of 68.89% during the third week of May, 2011. During 2011-12, peak larval incidence (16.9 maggots/ fruit) was recorded in third week of May, 2012 and highest fruit damage of 59.13% during last week of May, 2012. Abiotic factors found to be responsible for certain changes in fruit fly incidence such as maximum (r = + 0.905) and minimum (r = + 0.824) temperature, rainfall (r = + 0.564) and maximum relative humidity (r = -0.691) had significant association with fruit fly incidence on pointed gourd.