Comparison of biorational management approaches against mango fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel) in Bangladesh

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is a major fruit crop throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world including Bangladesh. The Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a major pest of mango causing both quantitative and qualitative losses as well as export barriers. We compared the efficacy and economic benefits of several prophylactic and remedial tactics against B. dorsalis during the 2017 mango cropping season in pursuit of the development of a mango IPM program to produce fruit fly-free and residue-free mango fruits. Several non-chemical approaches, such as bagging fruits with double-layer brown paper bags, cloth bags, polythene bags, and installing methyl eugenol kairomone traps and protein hydrolysate bait lures, were evaluated and compared with conventional Profenofos + cypermethrin (Shobicron 425 EC) management. Among the treatments, bagging mangos with double-layer brown paper bags at forty-two days before harvest showed the best performance. Fruit infestation was reduced to zero, marketable yields were significantly higher than with conventional pesticide management, and the marginal benefit cost ratio of bagging mangos with double-layer brown paper bags was nearly twice as high as any other treatment. The strong economic return from bagging fruits with double-layer brown paper bags results from high fruit quality and being able to use the bags for two growing seasons. The positive results from this study indicate that double-layer brown paper bagging is effective at controlling the oriental fruit fly in mango and should be integrated into a full IPM package for mango production.