Development of extra performance attractive for the monitoring and sustainable control of fruit flies

• Grant number: 18/15301-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: June 01, 2019
• End date: April 30, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Ari Gitz
• Grantee: Ari Gitz
• Company: Bio Controle Métodos de Controle de Pragas Ltda
• CNAE: Atividades de apoio à agricultura
• City: São Paulo
• Pesquisadores principais: Fabio Silber Schmidt ; Fernanda de Oliveira ; Lizandra Alexa de Carvalho
• Associated researchers: Adalton Raga ; Fernando Berton Baldo

Abstract

Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) are among the main pests of agriculture, generating great economic impact. These impacts are associated with direct damage when females lay eggs on fruits, larvae hatch and consume the pulp. Besides that, they have high dispersion and colonization capacities under different ecological conditions, reflecting a high damage potential to the fruits, interfering in the commercialization for the external market. The project aims to develop a new formulation with extra performance for the monitoring and sustainable control of fruit flies. The development of new attractives formulation for fruit flies will be carried out in three systems: 4-channel olfactometer, laboratory cages and commercial orchards. The experiments on olfactometer and laboratory cages will be conducted using insects from the colonies of Anastrepha fraterculus, Ceratitis capitata. Females from 3 to 7 days old will be used. The laboratory cages will contain on their upper side, four yellow base McPhail traps. Both capture systems will be evaluated at 24 and 48 hours after release of females. The comparison of the products allows to select in advance the most suitable food attractions to be tested in the field, allowing greater agility in the screening phase. In the field phase, the most promising attractions will be tested over a period of eight weeks using citrus, guava and mango orchards. The toxic baits will be evaluated in laboratory and field. It is expected to obtain a formulation with an extended useful life, that does not make contact of the insecticide with the plant, presents no residue on the fruit, generates no risk of intoxication for the applicator and no environmental impacts. (AU)