Effectiveness of three insecticides to control melon fruit fly (Bactrocera cucurbitae Coq.) in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). (170)

Abstract

Field experiment was conducted from October to December, 2005 at the Vegetable Evaluation and Research Station farm, Anse Boileau, Seychelles to evaluate the effectiveness of three insecticides to control melon fly (Bactrocera cucurbitae Coq.) in cucumber. The treatments were replicated three times in a randomized complete block design. The results obtained showed that deltamethrin insecticide used as foliar spray recorded the lowest emergence of melon fruit fly pupae and adult melon fruit flies. At fourth harvest, the use of deltamethrin spray not only reduced the number of adult melon fruit flies by 28.6%, 48.2% and 62.8% but also recorded an increase in the number of marketable cucumber fruits by 10.3%, 38.2% and 79.4% compared to those obtained with the use of Lambda-cyhalothrin, mercaptothion and non-sprayed plots respectively. Deltamethrin and lambda-cyhalothrin insecticides proved to be the most effective in the control of melon fruit fly in addition to recording significant increases in the number of marketable cucumber fruits.